Gen (Retd) Lodhi Equates National Security with National Welfare and Aspirations

1st February, 2021, Islamabad: Senator Walid Iqbal, Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Defence observed that the expeditious rolling out of the National Security Policy, currently under formulation was the need of the hour as welfare and wellbeing of the people of Pakistan lay at the core of security. He said this at the outset of the meeting of the Committee at Parliament House.

Later, Former Caretaker Minister for Defence Minister, former Secretary Defence Lt. Gen ( Retd) Naeem Khalid Lodhi posited that national Security Policy simultaneously linked with national welfare policy must provide a unified concept to a nation’s foreign policy, economic policy, defence policy and all domestic policies to operate within one larger framework. Any Nation’s goal in safeguarding its interests must be consistent with national aspirations.

In an interactive session on “Formulating and Rolling out an effective National Security Policy: Hybrid War, Pakistan’s Capacity and dealing with non-state actors”, Gen Lodhi an intellectual in his own right, observed that security never was and will never be only in the kinetic domain or physical protection. He said that education, health, economy, equal opportunities, justice, food, water, minds etc. all need to be secured and protected. He further said that supreme national interest, therefore, constitutes welfare, wellbeing and protection of the people of Pakistan.

He stressed that if we are really serious to fight back the hybrid threat, then the first step would be an acceptance that the planning and execution of any counter plan will have to be hybrid in nature, and only a small portion of the campaign may fall in the purview of kinetics. It would require a transformation in the idea of warfare, and involve adjustments in the organization, equipment and training of the institutions undertaking these operations.

Senator Mushahid Hussan sayed observed that Pakistan, at this time, enjoyed the strategic space to hit India hard in hybrid theatre and was likely to achieve a great success if it employed clarity of Policy, keeping in mind that we are lucky to have support of China and the coming into office of new Bidden administration in the US.

Senator Gen (Retd.) Abdul Qayyum said that Pakistan should adopt proactive rather than reactive approach in the hybrid theatre where economic strangulation and diplomatic isolation were the techniques employed to overpower developing nations.

Senators Sajjad Hussain Turi and Mir Kabeer Ahmed Muhammad Shahi apprised the committee of the national security challenges in their areas of former FATA and Baluchistan respectively.

Senator Javed Abbasi emphasized that formulation and implementation of an effective NSP must be an inclusive rather an exclusive process.

Lt . General (R.) Mian Hilal Hussain, Secretary Defence stressed that6 local and geo-strategic transformations had sprung up unique challenges for Pakistan but with appropriate alterations in techniques, equipment and approach, Pakistan Armed forces, Law enforcing agencies and nation have successfully overcome those challenges, that we are the cusp of winning this multifaceted war, that good days are coming and our enemies are biting the dust.

The meeting was attended by Senators Gen (R.) Abdul Qayyum, Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Dilawar Khan, Sajjad Hussain Turi, Javed Abbasi, Mir Kabeer Ahmed Muhammad Shahi, Secretary Ministry of Defence and senior officer of the ministry of defence. Chairman of the Committee also presented a souvenir to Lt. Gen (R.) Naeem Khalid Lodhi.

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