ISLAMABAD: Federal government on Monday shared with the parliamentarians the salient features of the draft national security policy prepared by the national security division to help enforce a new national security strategy.
The move came on heels of the brutal lynching of Sri Lankan factory manager Diyawadanage Don Nandasri Priyantha by a mob in Sialkot over allegations of blasphemy.
The opposition parties had decided to boycott the upcoming in-camera briefing of the national security committee, citing the government’s “dictatorial” behaviour as the reason for the boycott.
The incident shocked the common public as well as influential. Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Arif Alvi, as well as the military’s top leadership, responded to the lynching and promised to bring all those involved to the book.
According to sources, National Security Adviser (NSA) Dr Moeed Yusuf briefed the participants of Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS)Â about the draft of the new national security policy prepared by the national security division.
The NSA said that the strategy includes economic and food security, foreign policy, rise in population, terrorism, state’s policies on Kashmir and Afghan issues have been defined in the draft.
In wake of the Silakot incident, it has been decided to review the mechanisms adopted in implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) to ensure enforcement of writ of the state.
The NSA also gave an overview of the government’s plan of action to enforce the writ of the government and to nip the extremist elements through a coordinated support from all segments of the society along with the state institutions.
Later, while speaking to journalists, Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari said that the government would have to analyse why the NAP had not been implemented in letter and spirit.
Mazari said that Islam is a religion of peace and patience, adding that the lynching of the Sri Lankan manager in Sialkot was a “day of shame for the entire nation.”
The minister went on to say that time has come for the state to take action against such unacceptable incidents.
Responding to a question related to Defence Minister Pervez Khattak’s statement about the incident, Mazari said that Khattak has issued a clarification about his statement. She urged the Opposition to distance itself from the statement issued by the JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman relating to the Sialkot tragedy.
