IN what could be described as a very significant step, the National Security Committee at its meeting on Monday approved the country’s first ever National Security Policy (NSP) with Prime Minister Imran Khan terming it a historic moment for the country.
Briefing the meeting about the policy, National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf said through this framework, the ultimate purpose of national security would be to ensure the safety, security and dignity of the people of Pakistan. To ensure this citizen-centric approach to security, the NSP puts economic security at the core.
Firstly, the Adviser on National Security really deserves commendation for the hard work he put in to prepare this one of the most important documents in the country’s history and since there is always room for improvement, we will suggest that it should also be tabled in both houses of Parliament for further discussion and valuable input from the lawmakers should be made part of it. Mostly, the people equate national security with military readiness and homeland defence.
But in today’s highly globalised world, the national security has other dimensions too. It is a broad description of the elements in our society that make it secure. It can include anything that adds to the strength of the nation.
In this context, the economy cannot be delinked from the national security and it is heartening to see that the NSP lays great emphasis on the economic security of the country.
There is a famous saying that beggars cannot be choosers. For long we have relied heavily on the international financial institutions to meet our deficits, and the way these lenders then dictate their terms is a no secret.
It is only through a strong economy that we can get rid from their shackles as well as emerge as a strong voice in the comity of nations. Hence, the NSP must not remain only on papers but serious efforts should be made that increase the economic footprint and base of the country by focusing on the development of agriculture, industrial and science and technology sectors. Only review meetings will not be sufficient for implementation of the policy rather clear timelines need to be set to achieve the targets set in it.
