By Uzma Zafar
ISLAMABAD: National Security Adviser (NSA) Dr Moeed Yusuf on Tuesday announced that the federal cabinet in an historic move has approved the country’s first-ever comprehensive citizen-centric National Security Policy based on the economic security at its core. Addressing a joint media briefing flanked by the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain who briefed the journalists over the Cabinet meeting’s decisions, the NSA said after the National Security Committee’s endorsement of the National Security Policy (NSP) the other day, the Cabinet has approved it this day.
Dr Moeed said: “I would like to congratulate the entire nation on this successful endeavor because if any country has unclear National Security vision then policy making under it is very difficult.”
He informed that this policy focused overall aspects of national security and Under the Prime Minister’s leadership it has been codified that economic security would be the core of the Policy. “Strong economy would ensure more spending on military and human security,” he added. He underlined that for external initiatives the Policy’s objective was ‘Peace’. “Search of peace in the neighborhood and all other countries,” he added.
Under the NSP, for National cohesion, the country has identified the most important aspect of its cultural and ethnic diversity, where the national unity should be built around it.
“We are an Islamic state and have an ideology of an Islamic country. Therefore, the Policy aspects of National Cohesion should revolve around the nation’s diversity. All aspects of diversity would be taken along with other elements of NSP,” he elaborated.
Moreover, human security aspects of NSP had core focus on population followed by health security, climate and water, food security and gender. As far as the economic security was concerned, he said this policy gave made due discussion on it.
The main points, he said included external imbalance vis-a-vis export and import issues leading to increased current account deficit, energy security and education was included in economy as education’s one component was related to national security namely unity and radicalization.
He added that the second important concern of Pakistan was to produce quality human resource that would have ultimate impact on economy at the local level was also discussed under the chapter of economic security.
The other elements of the Policy shed light on sovereignty, territorial integrity meaning hard security related to defence and military security. The NSP formulation process started back in 2014 which got completed in seven years, as there were many sensitivity and complexities into it, whereas massive debate was carried out in the process.
“I would like to inform that four rounds of all federal ministries and provinces have been made where they gave input over the years. Civil-military leadership and institutions worked together and approved the document after all stakeholders’ consensus,” he highlighted.
Dr Moeed while pointing out towards criticism over absence of private sector, academia, and experts said since 2014, over 600 Pakistani experts hailing from academia, universities’ students and private sector were engaged who provided their key input for creating NSP.
“But it was a very consultative process where extensive debate was made on every single word of this document which should have been done especially as it was the first ever NSP,” he added.
“There have been questions which are very true that we formulate policies, what are its outcomes, benefits and implementation. The positive thing about this NSP is that this policy has the ownership of NSC where civil military leadership sits together and a complete implementation plan is being prepared for implementation,” the NSA said.
He underscored that the Prime Minister has directed that National Security Division (NSD) would give monthly update to NSC on implementation of NSP and problems being faced in its implementation. “It’s an overall vision and umbrella document to guide various sectors in policy making over the time. Every country has such visionary document and Thank God we got it today,” he said.
He further elaborated that it would be a classified document collectively but a full public version would be released by the Prime Minister with in next week or ten days. “We will launch it and intend to have intellectual debate on the NSP and get complete input,” he said.
