ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Defence observed that the expeditious rolling out of the National Security Policy, currently under formulation was the need of the hour as welfare and wellbeing of the people of Pakistan lay at the core of security.
The committee meeting was held under the chairmanship of Senator Walid Iqbal.
Former Caretaker Minister for Defence Minister, former Secretary Defence Lt Gen Naeem Khalid Lodhi (retired) posited that National Security Policy simultaneously linked with national welfare policy must provide a unified concept to a nation’s foreign policy, economic policy, defence policy and all domestic policies to operate within one larger framework.
Any nation’s goal in safeguarding its interests must be consistent with national aspirations.
He stressed that “if we are really serious to fight back the hybrid threat, then the first step would be an acceptance that the planning and execution of any counter plan will have to be hybrid in nature, and only a small portion of the campaign may fall in the purview of kinetics.”
It would require a transformation in the idea of warfare, and involve adjustments in the organization, equipment and training of the institutions undertaking these operations.
Senator Mushahid Hussan Sayed observed that Pakistan, at this time, enjoyed the strategic space to hit India hard in hybrid theatre and was likely to achieve a great success if it employed clarity of policy.
Senator Gen Abdul Qayyum (retired) said Pakistan should adopt a proactive rather than reactive approach.
Senators Sajjad Hussain Turi and Mir Kabeer Ahmed Muhammad Shahi apprised the committee of the national security challenges in their areas of former FATA and Balochistan respectively.
Senator Javed Abbasi emphasized that formulation and implementation of an effective NSP must be an inclusive rather an exclusive process.
The meeting was attended by senators Gen Abdul Qayyum (retired), Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Dilawar Khan, Sajjad Hussain Turi, Javed Abbasi, Mir Kabeer Ahmed Muhammad Shahi, secretary Ministry of Defece and senior officer of the Ministry of Defence.
The chairman of the committee also presented a souvenir to Lt Gen Naeem Khalid Lodhi (retired).
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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