The in-camera joint sitting of the National Assembly and the Senate convened by President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday (October 8) will be the third in Pakistan's 61 year history.
Its agenda: army and intelligence officials would give a detailed briefing to parliamentarians and political leaders of the country about military operations against al Qaeda and Taliban fighters in tribal areas and the Pak-Afghan border. The parliamentarians and political leaders who attend the in-camera joint session will be bound to secrecy and are not expected to reveal the briefing/discussions during the session.
Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and other military commanders will brief the parliamentarians about military operations in Swat and the tribal areas and outline threats to national security. Informed sources told Business Recorder that they would take questions from the parliamentarians, but debate would be limited.
The in-camera joint sitting of Parliament will start at 5 pm on Wednesday and will be chaired by NA Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza. Informed sources told this scribe that there would be not a single session but two to three.
The joint sitting, being held after 21 years, is expected to be devoted to building a national consensus on the government's anti-terror strategy, as some political and politico-religious parties are opposing the military operation against the militants in tribal areas; and favour negotiations with them to resolve the problems peacefully without any further bloodshed.
First, in-camera joint sitting of the Parliament was convened on September 21, 1974, when Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was prime minister of the country; in the aftermath of the session Qadiyanis' were officially declared as non-Muslims. The second in-camera session of Parliament was convened in 1987, when Muhammad Khan Junejo was prime minister, in which parliamentarians were briefed about the Afghan war of that time and the Geneva Accord.
In the third in-camera sitting the government will make all out efforts to build a national consensus on the war on terrorism, military operation in Fata, Swat and other tribal areas, overall law and order situation in the country and the consequence of US attacks inside Pakistan territory.
The opposition parties had been demanding an explanation from the government as to why there was a continuation of the army operation launched during the government of former president Pervez Musharraf. Major opposition party Pakistan Muslim League (N) demanded complete disclosure of secret agreements signed during Musharraf's period with America regarding the operations in Pakistan territory.
The closed-door briefing comes in the wake of strikes by suspected US drones on alleged al Qaeda and Taliban hideouts and increasing suicide bombing incidents in Pakistan, including Marriott Hotel truck suicide bombing of September 20, which destroyed the hotel, killing more than 60 people and injuring over 200.
Sources said that the decision to hold an in-camera briefing for the parliamentarians and political leadership of the country was taken by President Asif Ali Zardari after his meeting with General Ashfaq Kayani and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Saturday. They said that Prime Minister Gilani has asked the leaders of the National Assembly and the Senate to ensure that all lawmakers attend what he called a "very important session".
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