ISLAMABAD - Senior officials from the military's security agencies are scheduled to show up at an all important meeting of the National Assembly's defence panel today to brief the legislators on prevalent security issues concerning the Western border.
To be chaired by the Member National Assembly (MNA) from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shaikh Rohale Asghar, at the Parliament House, the first day of the two-day meet-up of the NA Standing Committee on Defence is to hold discussions on the prospects of peace talks with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as well the contingency plan in case the peace talks fail.
The senior officials of the Pakistan Air force (PAF) would brief the committee members at the Air Headquarters (AHQ) on the meeting's final day (Wednesday). Moreover, a classified briefing that was scheduled at the Naval Headquarters (NHQ) on Thursday whereby the naval command was to brief the lawmakers on the navy's operational matters has been postponed reportedly due to the unavailability of the senior navy officials concerned on the scheduled date.
The fresh date for the meeting would be decided and announced next month, it is learnt
Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif, Secretary Defence Lieutenant General (r) Asif Yasin Malik, and senior officials from the army's intelligence establishments are expected to attend today's meeting.
"It is important to take the lawmakers into confidence on the crucial matters," the defence minister said with reference to the conduct of the meeting.
"A lot is happening on the security front in the north west. The elected representatives have the right to know what is going on. The politicians, government, security establishment, general public and the civil society, all have to be on the same page to determine the future course of action for the restoration of peace in the terrorism affected region," Khawaja Asif told this correspondent Monday.
To a query regarding the alternate options in case the ongoing peace talks ceased to yield results, the minister said the government was not short of plans. "Of course there are some obvious options.
But that is plan B, presently, the peace talks stay very much high on our agenda and they are working. So, we are hoping that things would be heading for good."