The NA body denounces the killings in Pahalgam and denies Indian accusations against Pakistan.

The death toll from an attack in Pahalgam, Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, was overwhelmingly denounced by the National Assembly Standing Committee on Defence.

The meeting was presided over by MNA Fatehullah Khan and attended by Parliamentary Secretary on Defence Zeb Jaffar, Ghulam Muhammad, and Muhammad Aslam Ghumman. In addition to the lawmakers, the meeting was attended by Maj Gen Amir Ishfaq Kiani, Additional Secretary (Army), Lt. Gen (R) Muhammad Ali, Secretary (Defence), and other senior officials from the Ministry of Defence, Law & Justice, and the provinces.

The Indian government’s baseless accusations against Pakistan were flatly denied by the committee.

It voiced serious concerns about the Indian government’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, the closing of the Attari crossings, and the ambassadors’ departure, and cautioned that these acts run the risk of intensifying tensions between the two nuclear-armed states.

The committee underlined that Pakistan has experienced terrorism and that its military and government have continuously shown that they are accountable for preserving peace. Nonetheless, the committee reaffirmed that a suitable response will be required if the Indian side takes any unjustified action.

Additionally, the Committee prayed for the souls of Chief of Army Staff Gen. Asim Munir’s mother and sister-in-law who had passed away.

Additionally, “The Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill, 2024” was taken into consideration. The ministry briefed the committee members on the main points of the proposed Bill during the debates, which mostly addressed electronic crimes, welfare activities, and procedural improvements.

The ministry added that the changes are intended to ensure uniformity among the different branches of the Armed Forces by bringing the Navy Act into line with the recently modified Acts regulating the Pakistan Army and Air Force.

“The Committee unanimously recommended that the National Assembly may pass the Bill following extensive deliberations,” the news release stated.

The Surveyor General of Pakistan (SOP) and the Secretaries of the Mines and Minerals Departments from Gilgit-Baltistan and all four provinces then briefed the committee on the private sector’s involvement in mineral resource mapping and surveying.

To protect sensitive information for the benefit of the country, the committee encouraged all provinces to use SOP’s Department’s services rather than those of the private sector. The Committee decided to call the Secretaries of the Finance Division and the Ministry of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives to the next meeting to discuss and clarify the discrepancy in funding between the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) under the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Trainings and the Federal Government Educational Institutions (FGEIs) under the Ministry of Defence.