ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain asked all state institutions on Friday to formulate a broad-based national security policy, calling it the ‘need of the hour’.

“The representatives of all state institutions should work out a combined national strategy to effectively address the issues related to national security,” the president said while addressing the certificate award ceremony of the 17th National Security Workshop (NSW) held here at the National Defence University.

He expressed the confidence that deliberations, such as the one held at NSW, were significant in establishing national direction on issues of national and international importance.

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Parliamentarians, bureaucrats, military personnel and members of civil society deliberated on national issues at the workshop.

“In today’s inter-connected and inter-dependent world, the need to understand international matters and related policies has increased manifold,” the president said.

He lauded the contributions of the National Defence University to national development and for hosting the quality workshop on security.

Mr Hussain expressed the hope that the knowledge and understanding which the participants had acquired at the workshop would be of use in their future assignments.

Earlier, speakers belonging to various walks of life stressed that security and strategic planning must include the issues related to health,

education, infrastructure and taxation.

It was highlighted that inadequate facilities to citizens resulted in their lack of trust in the system which could lead to security related issues.

National Defence University president Lt Gen Anwar Ali Hyder in his address of welcome said that the NDU stood out as a prestigious institution and a leading think tank of the country that provided a platform for military and civilian experts to share views on national issues.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2015