ISLAMABAD: National Security Adviser Dr Moeed Yusuf on Friday briefed the Senate Defence Committee on specific features and key components of the National Security Policy.

During the in-camera meeting at the parliament house, he briefed the committee on the process of policy formulation, which was started in 2014 when the National Security Division was created.

“Over the last seven years, an inter-governmental consultation process was undertaken with federal ministries, provincial governments and all other stakeholders. Consultations were also held with academics, university students, independent policy experts and other members of civil society,” says a press release issued by the Senate Secretariat.

Dr Yusuf said the Nati­onal Security Policy was built on existing government policies and provided an overall umbrella document to guide future policy direction in areas that impacted national security.

Mushahid says national security cannot be defined solely in terms of military might

“It also examines opportunities and challenges in a fluid global environment and prioritises policy actions for implementation. Impor­tantly, it contains an annual review when a new government comes into place to ensure policy continuity and build flexibility on national security issues,” he said.

The adviser said the policy placed economic security as the core of comprehensive security because it was recognised that only through increasing prosperity of the citizens and the overall national resources, Pakistan could invest more in strengthening human security and traditional security.

The committee welcomed the policy as a good first step, which was built on the work on national security done by previous governments.

The committee’s chairman Mushahid Hussain Sayed said that in the “wake of chan­ging global scenario, the national security cannot be defined in terms of military might rather it should revolve around hu­man security challenges such as health, population management, the pandemic, climate change, food security, water scarcity and education”.

He underlined that Kashmir issue and the nuclear programme were at the center of Pakistan’s core national interests and these should be promoted and protected.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2022