ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pakistan’s first-ever National Security Policy (NSP) 2022-2026 was approved by the National Security Committee (NSC) in its 36th Meeting held in Islamabad on Monday with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the Chair.
The National Security Policy (NSP) will now be presented to the Federal Cabinet before being officially adopted.
A public version of the document will be released in due course.
The 36th NSC meeting was attended by the Federal Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Defence, Information & Broadcasting, Interior, Finance, Human Rights, the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), all Services Chiefs, the National Security Advisor, and senior civil and military officers.
In the meeting, the National Security Adviser Dr. Moeed Yusuf briefed the participants on the salient features of the NSP.
Moeed Yusuf highlighted that Pakistan was shifting to a Comprehensive National Security Framework whereby the ultimate purpose of national security was to ensure the safety, security, and dignity of the citizen of Pakistan.
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 participants were informed 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.
It was highlighted that a detailed implementation framework had been created through which the National Security Division (NSD) would review progress in collaboration with relevant ministries and departments.
While approving the National Security Policy, the NSC members appreciated the National Security Division and all other government departments for this effort.
Terming the NSP’s formulation and approval a historic moment, Prime Minister Imran Khan 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 emphasized 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.
Imran Khan instructed the national security adviser to present an implementation progress report to the NSC every month.
During the meeting, the participants also unanimously approved the revitalization of the Planning Committee & the expansion of the NSC’s Advisory Board.
