By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistani Parliament opened ‘in-camera’ session Wednesday to discuss security situation in country and to devise consensus strategy to counter scourge of terrorism.
Sources said that Director General Military Operations Lt. Gen.
Ahmed Shujaa Pasha briefed the members of parliament and political leaders about the ongoing military offensive in the tribal regions and Swat Valley in the Northwest Province.
“The army official gave us casualties’ fugues of the soldiers, militants and civilians and also showed us pictures of the militant leaders as security men slaughtered by the militants,” a senator said after the session, requesting not to be identified.
Speaker of the National Assembly Dr. Fahmida chaired the session which was also attended by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.
An opposition law maker, Saad Rafiq, expressed dissatisfaction over the security briefing and said important information was not given to the parliament.
He said that the MPs were also not given any information whether or not Pakistan has given permission to the US forces to conduct missile strikes in the country to target the suspected militants.
Another opposition lawmaker Ayaz Amir said that the army officials did not say as to why the country is plunged into the current crisis.
“We were told that the country is in a state of war and the situation is very bad,” Amir said.
The session, third ‘in-camera’ in the country’s 61-year history, will continue on Thursday and the members will be given opportunity to ask questions about the on-going military offensive.
Journalists and guests were not allowed to witness the proceedings and the army official explained the need for operation in the tribal areas.
There was unprecedented security for the joint session of the parliament and all roads were sealed for general public.
Paramilitary forces were also deployed with thousands of policemen outside the parliament and on roads to the parliament to keep security in view of wave of suicide bombings and blasts.