LAHORE: Speakers at Asma Jahangir conference on Sunday discussed the country’s political situation and curbs on the media.

A session ‘Unwrapping State Discourse: National Security, Identity and Nation Building’ was moderated by veteran journalist Arif Nizami and the panelists were former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri, retired Let Gen Talat Masood, Senator Syed Ali Zafar, MNA Chaudhry Manzoor, former Supreme Court Bar Association president Ali Ahmed Kurd and PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal.

Ahsan Iqbal said the concept of national security had changed in the 21st century and economic security was now the real security. In 1999, he said, Pakistan was a leading South Asian country on the economic front but now it had been left far behind.

An independent judiciary and socioeconomic security were the need of the hour, he said.

PPP leader Chaudhry Manzoor deplored that the political parties were being deprived of all rights in the name of national security and the media also was under scrutiny.

Syed Ali Zafar stressed the need for nation-building, saying Pakistan is facing multiple challenges.

Ali Ahmed Kurd said the lawyers’ movement of which he was a part, was a golden chapter which would be remembered for ages.

Retired Lt Gen Talat Masood said democracy was weak in the country and so were the institutions. He said it was the duty of political parties to bring democracy in their parties. He urged the PTI to had dialogue with the opposition to strengthen democracy.

Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri lamented that the national narrative had been changed by some people. The 11-point agenda of the Quiad-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah should not be forgotten. He said Modi had snatched the identity of the people of Kashmir.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2019