National Security Advisor (NSA) Dr Moeed Yusuf said on Saturday that National Security Policy (NSP) is a non-political document and the political leadership of the country should accept it in the ‘larger national interest’.
Talking to senior journalists, columnists, editors and anchors at the Governor’s House, he said the national security policy was a first-ever document in the security history of the country which embodied aspirations of all and sundry, adding that NSP encompassed key framework on human security, economic security, military security and prosperity of man in the street. Moeed Yusuf urged the political leadership of the country to refrain from playing politics on the security paper, adding that the National Security Policy would address both traditional and non-traditional security challenges, besides challenges to economy, food, water, military security, terrorism, unity and diversity and foreign relations with major powers.
To a question, he said the NSP was an executive prerogative of the government and had been approved by the National Security Committee headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan and the cabinet. “National Security Policy does not need to be laid before the parliament as it had duly been presented before the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) – representative body of the parliament’, he responded, adding that the members of committees were not present on the day.
He further clarified that the parliament was unanimous that the matters of national security should be presented before the PCNS instead of being debated in the house, adding that he had also briefed Senate’s Standing Committee on Defence in a separate meeting. On relations with India, the NSA said illogical approach of the Indian government was a obstacle in smooth relations with India, adding that Kashmir was the core issue between Pakistan and India. He said the world was well-aware of India’s jingoism as Modi had emerged as the descendent of Hitler, adding that India was not a safe country for the minorities today. “Pakistan wishes to move forward with India but its conditions are well-defined while we can go as far as the neighbor does”, he maintained.
Regarding Afghanistan, he said things were far better pre-August 15 scenario, adding that country’s diplomatic relations with neighboring Afghanistan were on a high today. He further said the TTP was behind the singular border incidents since it had the requisite capacity, adding that it wanted to assert its nuisance value but it was not significant.
Meanwhile, Dr Moeed said India made a publicity stunt by announcing 50,000 tonnes of wheat assistance for Afghanistan and sent not a single grain for the Afghans facing worst humanitarian crisis. The NSA in an interview to a private news channel said that India deliberately announced the wheat assistance intended to be transported through Pakistan’s land routes with the assumption that the latter would deny whereas it occured other way around.
