ISLAMABAD, Jan 7 (APP):Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Defence, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed Friday said, in the wake of changing global scenario, the national security cannot be defined solely in terms of military might rather it should revolve around human security challenges such as health, population management, the pandemic, climate change, food security, water scarcity and education.
Chairing the Committee’s meeting, he also underlined that Kashmir and the nuclear programme were at the center of Pakistan’s core national interests and these should be promoted and protected.
Senator Mushahid underscored that the need for building a sophisticated, coordinated, professional strategic communication that would present Pakistan’s narrative to the outside world, adding, “in this regard parliamentary diplomacy is a key component.”
Mushahid said that the national security policy, which was above partisan politics, must have a broad political consensus through parliament and institutional decision-making must be the basis of the policies pursued for implementation.
National Security Adviser, Dr Moeed Yusuf at an in-camera meeting gave a comprehensive briefing to the Committee.
During the briefing specific features of National Security Policy, its various dimensions and components and time lines for implementations were discussed.
The National Security Adviser briefed on the process of policy formulation and the policy’s salient features. The National Security Policy formation process was started in 2014 when the National Security Division was created, he added.
“Over the last seven years, an inter-government consultation process was undertaken with federal ministries, provincial governments and all other stakeholders. Consultations were also held with academics, university students, independent policy experts and other members of civil society,” he told.
Dr Moeed informed that the National Security policy was built on existing government policies and provided an overall umbrella document that would guide future policy direction in areas that impact national security.
“It also examines opportunities and challenges in a fluid global environment and prioritizes policy actions for implementation. It is important that it contains an annual review and new government comes into place to ensure policy continuity and build flexibility on national security issues,” he highlighted.
Dr Moeed mentioned that the policy placed economic security as the core of comprehensive security because it was recognized that only through increasing prosperity of the citizens and the overall national resources, Pakistan could invest more in strengthening human security and traditional security.
The Committee welcomed the National Security Policy as first good step, which was built on the work on national security done by previous governments.
The briefing by Dr. Moeed Yusuf was followed by detailed question hour session with the members of the Committee present on the occasion.
Senators Faisal Javed, Rukhsana Zuberi, Dr. Zarqa Suharwardy Taimoor, Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan, Hidayatullah and Waleed Iqbal attended the meeting.
