Islamabad: The National Action Plan Apex Committee meeting will be held today, Tuesday. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will chair the meeting.
The meeting will review the security situation in the country, and Army Chief General Asim Munir, DG ISI, heads of intelligence agencies, all provincial chief ministers and important federal ministers, along with senior civil and military leadership, will participate.
The meeting will review the security situation in the context of a new wave of terrorism in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The senior officials will discuss the current law and order situation and discuss how coordination between federal and provincial authorities as well as the mechanism for intelligence sharing can be enhanced.
In particular, dealing with the deteriorating security situation under the new multi-pronged nationwide counter-terrorism campaign “Operation Azm Utsaqat”.
Surprisingly, the meeting is being held just before the PTI-announced protests in Islamabad starting November 24 and the suicide bombing at Quetta railway station.
The apex committee meeting was reportedly scheduled for Monday but was rescheduled due to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s unwellness.
Some officials familiar with the developments said that if the prime minister feels better, the meeting is likely to be held on Tuesday. Stating that he was performing well till Monday evening and had also held a meeting on economic matters.
Pakistan has seen an increase in terrorist acts, with 757 people, including civilians and security personnel, killed in these attacks during the first eight months of 2024, according to a report by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies.
Militant activities are concentrated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Another report by the Center for Research and Security Studies said that the third quarter of 2024 saw a 90 percent increase in violence compared to previous periods.
KP and Balochistan have seen a sharp increase in terrorist incidents since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021. About 97 percent of the deaths occurred in KP and Balochistan. 92 percent of the incidents occurred in these two provinces.
