The National Assembly Standing Committee on Defence unanimously condemned the loss of lives in Pahalgam and categorically rejected the unfounded allegations levelled by the Indian Government against Pakistan.

The Committee reiterated its commitment to responding appropriately to any unwarranted actions.

The Committee expressed deep concern over the actions taken by the Indian Government, including the unilateral suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, the closing of the Attari borders, and the withdrawal of diplomats, and warned that such measures risked escalating tensions between the two nuclear nations.

The Committee emphasised that Pakistan had been a victim of terrorism and that its Government and Armed Forces had consistently demonstrated a responsible approach to maintaining peace.

However, the Committee reiterated that in case the Indian side engaged in any unwarranted action, an appropriate response would be necessary.

A meeting of the Standing Committee on Defence was held today at the Parliament House, Islamabad, under the Chairmanship of Mr. Fateh Ullah Khan, MNA.

The Committee also offered Fatiha and Dua for the departed souls of the mother and sister-in-law of the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Syed Asim Munir.

Thereafter, the Committee considered “The Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill, 2024.” During the course of deliberations, the Ministry enlightened the Committee Members about the key features of the proposed Bill, which mainly focused on welfare activities, electronic crimes, and procedural updates.

The Ministry also explained that the amendments were designed to align the Navy Act with the recently amended Acts governing the Pakistan Army and Air Force, thus ensuring consistency across the various branches of the Armed Forces.

After thorough deliberations, the Committee unanimously recommended that the National Assembly pass the Bill.

Following this, the Committee received a briefing from the Surveyor General of Pakistan (SOP) and the Secretaries of the Mines and Minerals Departments from all four provinces and Gilgit-Baltistan concerning the engagement of the private sector in surveying and mapping mineral resources.

The Committee urged all provinces to avail themselves of the services of the SOP’s Department rather than those of the private sector, in order to safeguard classified information for the betterment of the nation.

Regarding the disparity in fund allocations between the Federal Government Educational Institutions (FGEIs) under the Ministry of Defence and the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) under the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, the Committee decided to summon the Secretaries of the Finance Division and the Ministry of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives at the next meeting to discuss and clarify this issue.

The meeting was attended by MNAs: Mr. Aqeel Malik, Mr. Ibrar Ahmad, Ms. Saba Sadiq, Mr. Isfpanyar M. Bandara, Mr. Salahuddin Junejo, Mr. Sanjay Parwani, Mr. Gul Asghar Khan, Mr. Pullain Baloch, Mr. Muhammad Aslam Ghumman, Mr. Ghulam Muhammad, and Ms. Zeb Jaffar, Parliamentary Secretary on Defence.

Besides the parliamentarians, the meeting was attended by Lt. Gen (R) Muhammad Ali, HI(M), Secretary (Defence), Maj. Gen. Amir Ishfaq Kiani, Additional Secretary (Army), and other senior officers of the Ministry of Defence, Law & Justice, and the Provincial Governments.