ISLAMABAD: Senator Farhatullah Babar of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has resigned from the Senate’s Standing Committee on Defence over its recent visit to the General Headquarters (GHQ). Last month, the committee visited GHQ where military high-ups briefed the committee on the evolving security environment, including the situation at the borders and the Pakistan Army’s efforts for peace and security. Sources said that Senator Baber had opposed the committee’s visit to the GHQ. Baber said that GHQ should have come to Senate instead of the committee’s visit. Baber said that he had resigned even before the committee visit to the GHQ over the issue. He opined that the Committee should have not visited GHQ. Sources said that PPP had nominated Senator Farooq H Naek to fill the slot. The delegation also had an interactive session with Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the Inter-Services Public Relations had said in a statement. The parliamentarians had raised many of the oft-discussed issues, including security operations, military courts, defence budget, engagement with the United States, tensions with India, problems in relations with Afghanistan and civil-military relations. The interactive session, which was originally planned for 30 minutes, went on for nearly three hours. Published in Daily Times, October 21st 2017.