ISLAMABAD: Expressing concern over the prevailing law and order situation in Balochistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), the National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control on Friday decided to convene its next meeting in Quetta to assess the security situation firsthand and formulate recommendations for the government.
The committee met at the Parliament House with Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz, MNA, in the chair. During a discussion on the security situation in Balochistan and AJK, some members proposed holding an in-camera briefing at the Parliament House. However, the majority favoured convening a separate meeting in Quetta to assess the ground realities and formulate recommendations.
PPP MNA Nabeel Gabol proposed that a parliamentary delegation visit Quetta to evaluate the situation firsthand. He called for an in-camera briefing on the security situation, an in-house committee meeting, and a joint session with law enforcement and security agencies. Committee member Naseer Abbas said the Balochistan issue was fundamentally political in nature and called for the immediate convening of an All Parties Conference (APC).
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry told the committee that while security operations remained necessary, a political solution was equally essential for achieving lasting peace in Balochistan. He endorsed the committee’s proposal to receive security briefings in Quetta rather than Islamabad.
After detailed deliberations, the committee decided to hold a meeting in Quetta in the near future to review the law and order situation in Balochistan and make appropriate recommendations.
The committee also considered the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2025 (Government Bill), the West Pakistan Motor Vehicles Taxation (Amendment) Bill, 2025 (Government Bill), and the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2026 (Ordinance No II of 2026) (Government Bill). Following deliberations, the committee deferred consideration of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
The ICT Excise and Taxation Department informed the committee that the Ministry of Law and Justice had conveyed that the subject matter of the West Pakistan Motor Vehicles Taxation (Amendment) Bill, 2025, had already been legislated through the Finance Act, 2026-27, rendering the bill infructuous. Accordingly, the committee recommended that the bill be treated as withdrawn.
The committee expressed serious concern over the prolonged delay in the construction of Sher Dhamial Road and Sigga Bintrar Road in Islamabad. The CDA chairman attributed the delay to inadequate budgetary allocations and assured the committee that additional funds would be allocated, subject to the availability of resources. The committee directed the CDA to prioritise the completion of these ongoing road projects and other identified priority roads instead of initiating new schemes. Talal Chaudhry informed the committee that the CDA would brief it at its next meeting on the funds available for the completion of the road projects.
The committee also discussed the engagement of consultants to prepare a feasibility study on the regularisation and upgradation of illegal housing schemes and settlements in Islamabad. The committee chairman observed that consultants could be engaged by the CDA Board and stressed the need for a comprehensive review of zoning regulations, building by-laws, and the planning framework to reflect present-day realities. He said regularisation, where legally feasible, would improve public service delivery and strengthen the CDA’s financial position through the collection of regularisation fees and other charges.
The committee urged the government to formulate a practical regulatory framework for existing settlements while ensuring effective measures to prevent future illegal developments. The CDA chairman informed the committee that the authority was committed to the objective but required an appropriate policy framework and necessary approvals before implementation.
The committee further considered the ban on the registry and Inteqal (mutation) of land in Khanna Dak, Khanna Kak and Shakrial, Islamabad, and expressed strong dissatisfaction over the continued delay in transferring land records from Rawalpindi to the Islamabad administration. Observing that the matter had repeatedly been raised without any meaningful progress, the committee directed the senior member of the Punjab Board of Revenue, the Rawalpindi commissioner, and other relevant authorities to appear before its next meeting with a definite timeline for completing the transfer of the remaining land records.
The committee emphasised that the prolonged delay had caused unnecessary hardship to the public and could no longer be allowed to continue.
