Political leadership decides to reinstate National Security Committee

ISLAMABAD: The decision to revive the National Security Committee was taken on Monday at a meeting of parliamentary parties heads presided by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, which discussed the contemporary situation following the Indian violations of the Line of Control (LoC).

In the wake of heightened tensions over Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK) and the Uri attack that followed India’s declination to attend the SAARC Summit, Pakistan’s political leadership gathered to mull different options and eventually decided to revive the National Security Committee.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will preside over a session of committee on Tuesday, which would be attended by the ministers of Defence, Interior, Finance and Information, chief ministers of all four provinces.

The session will also be attended by the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Rashad Mahmood and the chiefs of the armed forces.

The parliament’s National Security Committee was constituted in 2008. The committee’s basic aim was to present comprehensive recommendations to the government after consultation with the army, intelligence agencies and other concerned institutions over national security affairs.

The committee was the brainchild of Senator Raza Rabbani, who also became its first head. It comprised members from both the houses of the parliament.

Under Raza Rabbani, the committee functioned for five years, but went inactive some time after the Pakistan People’s Party-led government completed its tenure.

The significance of the committee can be understood from the fact that it held sessions following Swat operation, Abbottabad and Salala incidents.

Senior defence and intelligence officials have briefed the committee on different instances in the past. The DGMO also appeared before the committee twice and the DG IB and Secretary Interior also attended the sessions.

Now with consensus of national political leadership it is coming to formation once again.