Pakistan Army chief to brief parliamentarians on 'hostile situation' at LoC

Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa will brief the parliamentarians next week on "hostile situation at the Line of Control" in the aftermath of recent tension with India, media reports said on Sunday.

The briefing, to be held at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on April 4, will be attended by the members of standing committees of the National Assembly and Senate on defence, Dawn reported. Gen Bajwa will "brief the parliamentarians on hostile situation at the Line of Control", it said.

The paper said that it will be the second briefing by the army chief to the parliamentarians over one month. Earlier, parliamentarians were briefed in an in-camera session held at Parliament House on February 27, the day the Pakistan Air Force carried out a raid in India.

However, Prime Minister Imran Khan did not attend the briefing. This week's briefing would be attended by a number of prominent leaders from the opposition parties, including former ministers, as they are members of the two committees.

According to a notification issued by the National Assembly Secretariat, chairman of the NA committee Amjad Ali Khan would lead the delegation of members of the National Assembly, the lower house. Defence Minister Pervez Khattak has also been invited as he is ex-officio member of both standing committees.

The lawmakers have been told to assemble at Gate No 1 of Parliament House at 10 a.m. and those who intend to proceed directly to GHQ have been asked to provide registration numbers of their vehicles before the meeting. A notification issued by the Senate Secretariat says that Chairman of Senate standing committee on defence Azam Swati will lead the Senate members.

A few days ago Prime Minister Khan had said that the "possibility of a misadventure" from India could not be ignored. Earlier, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had said that the armed forces needed to remain alert. Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the February 14 attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pulwama that killed 40 CRPF soldiers.

Amid mounting outrage, the Indian Air Force carried out a counter-terror operation, hitting what it said was a JeM training camp in Balakot, deep inside Pakistan on February 26. The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial combat and captured an Indian pilot, who was handed over to India later. 

-PTI