Secretary defense, Zamir Ul Hassan, while giving briefing to the standing committee of Defence on Thursday, said that GHQ would be shifted in Islamabad. He asserted that the general headquarters (GHQ) will be shifted to the federal capital at all costs.

He gave a detailed briefing to the shifting of the GHQ to Islamabad.

Seceratray Defence said that an area of 2,450 acres has been allocated for the purpose. He added that the master plan for the construction of defense complex was prepared in 2006.

Zamir said that the Army will bear all the expenses of the project while the government initially provided seventy billion rupees and will provide another one hundred billion rupees for it. The defense secretary said that the ministry of defense and joint staff headquarters will first be shifted to Islamabad. Civil and Military Hospital, Logistic depot, workshops and other institutions will remain in Rawalpindi.

The Committee was presided over by its Chairman Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed at Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services (PIPS).

Drone Strikes in Pakistan

The Senate Standing Committee on Defence has sought details of the drone strikes carried so far by the US led NATO forces inside Pakistan’s territory ​causing injury and deaths to innocent civilians.

The Committee decided that a unanimous Motion would be moved in the Senate to call upon the government to demand compensation from NATO on the losses ​inflicted by the drone strikes to ​innocent civilians.

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Mushahid Hussain, observed that drone strikes were a violation of the international laws and the committee would make all out efforts to provide relief to the innocent civilians.

Solidarity with Kashmir

The Committee also adopted a unanimous resolution to express solidarity with people of Indian occupied Kashmir struggling for their right of self-determination and independence from the Indian occupied forces.

The resolution condemned the barbaric approach adopted by the Indian Occupied Forces to suppress the indigenous movement for their rights. The resolution was moved by Senator Sehar Kamran which was unanimously adopted by the committee.

Pakistan Borders

Earlier, the Committee was given a detailed briefing by Secretary Defence Lt.Gen(R) Zamir ul Hassan on the situation along Pakistan-Afghanistan border and Pakistan-India borders.

He said that Pakistan shares 2611 KM long border with Afghanistan having 975 border posts on Pakistan side. Afghanistan on the other hand has constructed 218 posts but these posts are not enough to check the cross border infiltration into Pakistani territory.

He said that 307 attacks have so far been carried this year by the militants penetrating into Pakistan’s area. ​He said 76 rounds are unofficial while 16 rounds are notified crossings.​ While briefing the committee on the construction of security fence, he informed that out ​of​ 2057 KM fence-able area, 43 km has been fenced and a project of Rs. 56 Billion has been conceived which would be completed in two years.

He stated that nearly ​45% territory of Afghanistan is still ​an ungoverned space and militants infiltrate into Pakistani side to target civilians and the armed forces.

Replying to a question, the Defence Secretary said that Afghan president, during meeting with COAS in Kabul, has expressed the desire that Pakistan should assist Afghanistan in reconciliation process.

Regarding, Pakistan-Indian borders, the Secretary Defence said that India is involved in targeting civilian population close to the LOC and Working Boundary and even targeted the UN military observer team. He said that India is involved in violation of human rights and international laws by using brutal force against the innocent civilians in IOK ​and in 2017, 1299 violations of the ceasefire were done by India.​

The recent drone strikes, he said, was not inside Pakistan’s territory. He denied any confirmation of the death of Khalid Khurasani, leader of banned outfit, in the strike, however, he said that Khalid Naray has been killed in the strike.