By: Asem Mustafa Awan
The National Security Committee has expressed its determination to crush terrorism in the country with full force. The meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was attended by senior ministers and heads of armed forces. National Security Committee members made a resolve that no country will be allowed to provide facilities to terrorists. Comprehensive national security revolves around economic security that will be ensured at all costs.
National Security Committee meeting also stressed the need for the federal and provincial governments to lead the war against terrorism as per the National Action Plan.
NSC’s meeting twice within ten days also depicts gravity of the situation. The committee has fulfilled its responsibility by initiating consultation and planning on threats to national security. The problem is that when the threats to the country are being identified, it is inevitable to refer to the causes of these threats. Since the security agencies have separated themselves from political affairs, the entire responsibility is now on the head of the government coalition to justify the threats it faces and sidestep from point scoring against the opposition which is in power in Punjab, KPK, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. It is a fact the federal government is only active in Islamabad. The coalition government in Sindh is controlled by Pakistan People Party and two main Pakistan Democratic Alliance parties, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and PPP are pulling members from other parties to form government in Balochistan.
The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) government is well aware of its political popularity and that is the reason fluctuations in popularity are being given importance as the main factor in the decision making.
The latest example of this process is the federal government’s attempt to stop local elections in Islamabad. The PML-N government fears that in these days when the government is unpopular, holding local body elections in Islamabad is likely to give the district government to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf. The PTI local government if formed in the capital means PDM government hanging in air.
The question is, can a constitutional matter be postponed at the will of a political force and does it not make it difficult to create a national consensus? The National Security Committee has identified the situation in two sectors particularly threatening to national security and they are terrorism and economic depression.
It has been seven months since PDM formed the government having control over security and economic policies. Relations with the Afghan Taliban, talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and then showing unnecessary leniency to TTP and on top of it not having a timely strategy for TTP militants and others has created such an environment that there is no peace on the Afghan border and situation in tribal belt is also getting worse. The sacrifice made by armed forces against terrorists in over two decades, the PDM government is wasting these sacrifices by using all its power against the opposition. Army Chief emphasized the need for national unity, a wakeup call for all political forces that the country is in danger due to internal strife and this message should sink in as without acting on National Action Plan the situation can go from bad to worse.
