E-news August 08, 2014 | Youth Parliament Pakistan

National Security Division tasked with bridging gaps between Civil and Military administration: Muhammad Sadiq Khan, Secretary National Security Division



National Security Division tasked with bridging gaps between Civil and Military administration: Muhammad Sadiq Khan, Secretary National Security Division



Islamabad, August 08, 2014; The newly-formed National Security Division is tasked with bridging gaps between Civil and Military administration, said Mr. Muhammad Sadiq Khan, Secretary National Security Division while addressing the Youth Parliament Pakistan.

		Mr. Mohammad Sadiq Khan, a career diplomat who is currently serving as the Secretary of the National Security Division which is directly headed by the Prime Minster of Pakistan, addressed the 6th Youth Parliament Pakistan on Pakistan’s Security Doctrine: Opportunities and challenges.

		Mr. Sadiq explained the need of the newly formed National Security Division to the House and maintained that Prime Minister realizing the institutional lack of coordination and respect has attempted to bridge the gap between civil and military relations, by constituting the National Security Division which serves as the Secretariat to the National Security Committee. The division works in an advisory capacity and is constituted of military top brass as well as, the secretaries of relevant Ministries and eminent persons and think tanks.

The disruption of political process and democracy has been the cause of instability in Pakistan and has greatly impacted the civil military relations. The Pakistan Army due to its command and control and well defined hierarchy has historically maintained an institutional balance, said Mr. Muhammad Sadiq Khan, Secretary National Security Division.

Mr. Khan, while explaining the organizational structure of the National Security Division, maintained that it will aim to ensure coordination and consensus about National Security of Pakistan and aspires to draft a National Security Policy while keeping the swiftly changing and emerging challenges like fourth generation and asymmetric warfare in mind. Moreover, he stated that National Security Committee will indentify the core interests of Pakistan with sovereignty and territorial integrity being the fundamental components of it which will be complimented by sustenance of liberal democracy and supremacy of Parliament in Pakistan. In addition to that, he stated, it will focus on maintaining national and social cohesion given the diverse nature of Pakistani society which is divided on sectarian and ethnic lines.

Speaking about challenges and opportunities, he maintained that national security of Pakistan faces several traditional and non-traditional security challenges. He referred to non-kinetic challenges like fourth generation and asymmetric warfare which are brewing exponentially in the region with the potential of unleashing cataclysmic outcomes for Pakistan. He stressed that as much as asymmetric and fourth generation warfare presents itself to be a serious challenge; gaining economic security through an effective economic policy and reforms, food security while increasing the capacity and storage capability, social security while ensuring greater harmony at among communities at the gross root level and ensuring water security while maintaining an effective distribution and storage mechanism is the need of the hour. He concluded by saying that any policy on National Security needs to be comprehensive in addressing all these challenges and that it is formulated through a democratic process that includes all stakeholders.

His address was followed by an animated question and answer session with the MYPs.

The 6th Youth Parliament Pakistan (2014) is supported by the Danish International Development Agency, Government of Denmark.