'Historic moment': NSC approves first-ever National Security Policy

Pakistan’s first-ever National Security Policy (NSP) 2022-2026 was approved Monday, with Prime Minister Imran Khan terming it a "historic moment" for the country.

The NSP was approved during the 36th meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC), which was chaired by the prime minister, according to a statement from the PM Office.

The meeting was attended by Federal Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Defence, Information and Broadcasting, Interior, Finance, Human Rights, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, all Services Chiefs, National Security Advisor, and senior civil and military officers, the statement said.

National Security Advisor (NSA) Mooed Yusuf, presenting the NSP for approval, highlighted that Pakistan was shifting to a "Comprehensive National Security Framework".

Through the framework, the ultimate purpose of national security would be to ensure the safety, security, and dignity of the citizen of Pakistan, the NSA said.

"To ensure this citizen-centric approach to security, the NSP put economic security at the core. A stronger economy would create additional resources that would, in turn, be judiciously distributed to further bolster military and human security," the NSA said.

The NSA informed the participants that the NSP had been created through a "whole-of-government effort over the last seven years", and included extensive consultations among federal government institutions, with all provinces, and with the academia and private sector.

The NSA highlighted that a detailed implementation framework had been created through which the National Security Division would review progress in collaboration with relevant ministries and departments.

During the meeting, PM Imran Khan emphasised that the security of Pakistan rests in the security of its citizens and reposed confidence that Pakistan is well prepared to meet any internal and external threats.

Terming the NSP’s formulation and approval a historic moment, the prime minister noted that the Policy must guide all organs of the government to ensure that their efforts are synchronized with the overall direction of the NSP.

The prime minister instructed the national security adviser to present an implementation progress report to the NSC every month.

Revitalization of the planning committee and the expansion of NSC’s Advisory Board were also unanimously approved by the participants during the meeting.

"The NSP will now be presented to the Cabinet before being officially adopted. A public version of the document will be released in due course," the statement added.

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