QUETTA: The federal government has authorized direct flights from Quetta to facilitate pilgrims traveling to Iran and Iraq for Arbaeen, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif announced in the National Assembly on Tuesday.
During the session, which was chaired by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, the house unanimously passed two resolutions marking Youm-e-Istehsal, condemning the atrocities in the Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Opposition members, however, continued their protests over the conviction of senior party leaders in the May 9 cases. Some federal ministers mocked the PTI-led protest movement, while the law minister reiterated the government’s offer for dialogue.
In his policy statement, Defence Minister Asif highlighted the security risks faced by pilgrims traveling along the 800-kilometer overland route from Quetta, particularly the threat of terrorist attacks in Balochistan. To mitigate these risks, the federal government has authorized direct flights from Quetta for Arbaeen pilgrims, with one flight already operational and additional daily services planned to meet demand. All licensed private airlines have been invited to operate on the route, and chartered flights have also been permitted to maximize capacity. Asif noted that Iran had approved an additional flight for Pakistani pilgrims following discussions during the Iranian president’s recent visit.
The government is committed to ensuring safe, comfortable, and timely transportation for all Arbaeen pilgrims, the minister added.
In another development, the house adopted two resolutions condemning India’s actions in Jammu and Kashmir on Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir, marking the sixth anniversary of the revocation of Articles 370 and 35A. The resolutions were moved by Shazia Marri of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Amir Muqam of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
However, the proceedings were overshadowed by opposition protests, which accused the government of suppressing dissent. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry criticized the PTI’s protest, accusing the party of exploiting the session for political gain, prompting an uproar from the opposition.
PTI’s Aamir Dogar accused the government of “political victimization” and claimed that 10 National Assembly members had been “picked up” without action from the speaker. In response, Speaker Sadiq clarified that he had issued production orders for the arrested members and raised the issue of PTI MNA Sheikh Waqas Akram’s unexplained absence for 40 days, stating that under Article 64, his seat could be declared vacant. PML-N’s Nosheen Iftikhar moved a motion to declare Akram’s seat vacant, though Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah emphasized the need to ensure that the motion followed the rules.
