Parliamentary Committee briefed on on National Security Policy

Islamabad: The fourth in camera meeting of Parliamentary Committee for National Security with Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser in the chair was held at the parliament house in Islamabad Monday.

National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister Dr. Moeed Yusuf presented details of the policy to the Committee.

Briefing the committee, Dr. Moeed Yusuf explained that the National Security Policy is designed to leverage the symbiotic relationship between human security, economic security and military security with the prosperity and safety of citizens as its principal focus.

He said it endeavours to put economic security at the core of policy priorities to expand the national resource pie for greater investments in human and military security.

Moeed Yusuf informed Committee that the process of consultations with stakeholders for the formulation of the National Security Policy was initiated in year 2014 after the establishment of the National Security Division.

In year 2018, a drafting Committee was established which built on earlier work. Several rounds of feedback consultations on multiple drafts were held with all state institutions, including provincial government and the governments of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

This was followed by consultations with over 600 academics, analysts, civil-society members and students across Pakistan to make the policy process inclusive.

He said the policy is expected to be a dynamic document which will be reviewed each year and on the transition of government to help keep the National Security Policy abreast with policy priorities in a fast changing global environment.

The Adviser said the National Security Policy would be the first ever document that outlines the challenges and opportunities facing Pakistan in the coming years, while providing policy guidelines for mitigation and actualizing opportunities through a whole-of-government approach.

Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser said that the formulation of a comprehensive National Security Policy by incumbent government reflected its priority for realizing the dream of a secure and prosperous country.

He also appreciated the fact that taking public representatives on board on national policies is vital for strengthening of democratic institutions in the country.

He said that the upcoming Policy would be a document that envisages challenges and prospects, the country has in the coming years.

The participants of the meeting endorsed the National Security Division’s efforts in this regard and expressed their optimism that the policy would lead to an even more secure and prosperous Pakistan as the country was presently facing external as well as internal challenges.