National Assembly’s Defense Committee Condemns Pahalgam Incident, Rejects Indian Allegations

The **National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Defense** expressed **deep sorrow and regret** over the loss of human lives in the **Pahalgam incident** and strongly condemned the tragic event. The committee also **rejected** the accusations made by **India** against Pakistan, calling them **baseless** and **provocative**.

The committee meeting was held at the **Parliament House** in Islamabad, under the chairmanship of **MNA Mr. Fateh Ullah Khan**. The meeting began with a **prayer** for the **deceased mother and sister-in-law** of **Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir**.

In its statement, the committee reaffirmed that **Pakistan**, as a **responsible state**, has always made serious efforts to maintain peace in the region and has been a **victim of terrorism**. However, the committee emphasized that if **India** takes any **unjustified actions**, Pakistan has the **full capability** to respond effectively.

The committee also expressed **concern** over **India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty**, the **closure of the Atari border**, and the **return of ambassadors**, noting that such steps could escalate tensions between the two **nuclear-armed states**.

During the session, the committee reviewed the **Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill 2024** in detail. The Ministry of Defense briefed the committee on the bill’s key provisions, which include **welfare activities**, **electronic crimes**, and **reforms in procedures**. The ministry explained that these amendments are being made in alignment with recent amendments to the Pakistan Army and Air Force Acts, in order to ensure **uniformity** among the laws governing all three armed forces. The committee unanimously recommended the passage of the bill by the **National Assembly**.

Additionally, the meeting saw a briefing from the **Surveyor General of Pakistan** and secretaries of mineral departments from all provinces and **Gilgit-Baltistan** on the inclusion of the **private sector** in **mineral resource surveying** and mapping. The committee stressed the importance of prioritizing the services of the **Surveyor General’s Department** over private institutions to ensure the **protection of sensitive data**.

The committee also addressed disparities in the **distribution of funds** between **FGEI educational institutions** under the Ministry of Defense and **FDE institutions** under the Ministry of Education. The committee decided to invite the **Secretaries of Finance** and **Planning** in the next meeting to clarify the **unequal allocation of funds**.

The meeting was attended by **MNAs** including **Aqeel Malik**, **Abrar Ahmed**, **Saba Sadiq**, **Asfandyar Bundara**, **Salahuddin Jonejo**, **Sanjay Prowani**, **Gul Asghar Khan**, **Plein Baloch**, **Mohammad Aslam Ghumman**, **Ghulam Mohammad**, and **Meher Zeba Jafar** (Parliamentary Secretary for Defense).

Also present at the meeting were senior officials from the **Ministry of Defense**, including **Secretary Defense Lieutenant General (R) Muhammad Ali**, **Additional Secretary (Army) Major General Amir Ashfaq Kayani**, and representatives from **Ministry of Law and Justice**, **Defense**, and provincial governments.