Strategy against terrorism: PM ready to hold talks with opposition: Sana

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is prepared to extend an invitation to all political stakeholders to collaboratively devise a strategy against terrorism, as revealed by his Political Advisor, Rana Sanaullah. This suggests the government's willingness to engage the opposition in this matter. "How the nation proceeds with its support to military operations against terrorism — he (PM) is prepared for that," he stated during a Senate session on Tuesday.

"If you set aside other demands — the nation needs to unite and stand together against terrorism," the advisor added. He criticized Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for opposing military operations in his province. "CM KP said several times he would not allow any military operation in KP," the PM's political advisor remarked.

Regarding the opposition, he noted, "These allies do not participate in meetings of apex committees where everything is discussed openly." He mentioned that he invited the Leader of the Opposition in Senate, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, to meet Prime Minister Sharif, but Abbas declined. "Then I proposed he meet the Speaker of the National Assembly.

He rejected this as well," the lawmaker explained. Maulana Abdul Wasay from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) criticized the federal government for failing to restore peace in Balochistan. "The people of Balochistan are experiencing a dual crisis; terrorists are killing them, while the government is oppressing them," he asserted.

The PM's political advisor reported that the Balochistan government is "fully cooperating" with the federal government and security forces against terrorism. Falak Naz from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) stated that the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has not deterred PTI. "Neither do we fear the emergency, nor the governor’s rule.

We have been at war for the past four years," she declared. Later, the House approved two government bills: the Area Study Centres (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Centre for Clinical Psychology Centres (Amendment) Bill, 2026. These bills aim to ensure a 33 percent women representation in Area Study Centres and Clinical Psychology Centres, which fall under the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, per the PM’s directives issued by the Cabinet Division.

Lastly, State Interior Minister Tallal Chaudhry informed the Senate that over 138,000 Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) were revoked in Balochistan to prevent unauthorized registrations. Most of these revoked CNICs belonged to Afghan nationals, he explained, in response to a calling attention notice submitted by Jan Muhammad Buledi from the National Party regarding the cancellation of CNICs of residents in Rakhshan and Makran divisions of Balochistan. The Senate session was adjourned until Friday.