Pakistan's Security Dilemma: Tackling Terrorism and Refugee Crisis

The Pakistan government is set to address an upsurge in terror attacks by holding a high-level in-camera meeting of a parliamentary security panel. Amidst a backdrop of violence in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the government also plans a massive operation against militant groups. Concurrently, tensions with Afghanistan escalate due to the deportation of Afghan refugees.

The Pakistani government is responding to a surge in terrorism with an urgent meeting involving top military leadership and lawmakers on Tuesday. The meeting will focus on the security situation in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, two provinces disproportionately affected by recent terror attacks.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has instructed National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq to organize this session, which will convene members of standing committees on Defence and Foreign Affairs, federal cabinet members, and leaders of all parliamentary parties. The Army Chief Gen Asim Munir will attend, providing a significant military insight. The initiative comes as the government considers a wide-scale operation targeting terror groups like the BLA.

Tensions with Afghanistan have simultaneously escalated due to Pakistan's deadline for Afghan refugees to exit the country, a measure criticized by Afghan authorities as coercive. While Pakistan has denied such allegations, the deportation of Afghan citizens, especially those without UNHCR registration or Afghan Citizen Cards, continues amid concerns of deteriorating security cooperation from Afghanistan.

(With inputs from agencies.)