ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif again met on Tuesday his top national security aides for reviewing “national and regional security situation”.

Such national security sessions presided over by the prime minister have lately become a regular feature for coordination on critical issues like local militancy and regional issues, but participation has varied.

The Tuesday’s meeting had a full spectrum of participants — Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Chief of the Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz, ISI Director General Lt Gen Zaheer-ul-Islam, Chief of General Staff Lt Gen Ashfaq Nadeem and Military Operations Director General Maj Gen Amir Riaz.

As usual the press statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office contained all possible issues that could have been discussed at the meeting — Balochistan, Karachi, regional problems — except for the situation in tribal areas/peace dialogue with militants.

Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2014