Pakistan to overcome ‘irritants’ with Kabul

NSC expresses grave concern over frequent LoC violations

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday resolved to ‘work at all levels’ with the people and the government of Afghanistan in an effort to remove all ‘irritants’ – including repeated cross-border fire and support network for terrorist attacks in Pakistan.

This was stated in a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) which was presided over by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

The chairman joint chiefs of staff committee, services chiefs, ISI’s director-general, national security adviser, defence, foreign, interior and finance ministers as well as other senior civilian and military officials attended the huddle.

This was the first formal interaction between the country’s top civilian and military leadership in over a month and since the new cabinet took the charge under Premier Abbasi.

The last NSC meeting was held on July 7 and chaired by Abbasi’s predecessor Nawaz Sharif. Since then relations between the two sides were said to be strained after Sharif and the ruling PML-N voiced concerns over the inclusion of security agencies’ representatives in the Supreme Court-tasked Joint Investigation Team.

The JIT probed the Sharif family’s offshore companies and prepared a damning report that eventually paved way for Sharif’s ouster from power.



This followed hard-hitting public outbursts coming from the ousted premier, targeting the security establishment and the judiciary during his ‘homegoing’ rally from Islamabad to Lahore.

The ice melted after army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa called on Premier Abbasi and congratulated him on assuming office of the prime minister. Reportedly, the two sides agreed to come together at the NSC forum during the meeting.

Apart from relationship with Afghanistan, the NSC also discussed the situation along the Line of Control (LoC), counterterrorism operations, including operations Radd-ul-Fasaad and Khyber-IV.

“The meeting reviewed the security situation – both internal and external – and the foreign policy imperatives in the regional and global context,” according to a PM House statement.

While reaffirming its continued commitment to pursue peace and stability in Afghanistan through an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process, the NSC expressed grave concern over frequent incidents of cross-border firing by Indian forces along the LoC and strongly condemned “grave violations of human rights inflicted upon innocent people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir”.



The participants reiterated that regional peace and progress was directly linked to the resolution of all outstanding issues –including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir.

The NSC unanimously expressed satisfaction over the gains of anti-terrorism operations, particularly Radd-ul-Fasaad and Khyber-4, and resolved to continue with these operations till the elimination of the last trace of terrorist elements.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, defence and strategic affairs analyst Dr Hassan Askari Rizvi said the forum of NSC needed to be made more effective, with increased interactions between the stakeholders.

“During the tenure of Nawaz Sharif, only a handful of NSC meetings were held. This results in the weakening of institutions and creates misunderstandings.

“If the incumbent PM wants smooth civil-military relationship, he needs to make the NSC more effective and functional to bridge the communication gap, instead of relying on informal meet-ups. The related NSC meetings need to be held frequently.”

Rizvi said Wednesday’s NSC meeting was kind of an introductory session between the military and a new PM and his team.

“I don’t think there is anything extraordinary about it, but the demonstrated resolve to work with the people and the government of Afghanistan to remove irritants indicates that there has been a willingness to get engaged into meaningful measures to iron out differences.”

A cabinet member, requesting anonymity, told The Express Tribune that the security situation in Karachi was particularly discussed in the meeting and the forum took stock of rising street crimes in the city.

Reportedly, the prime minister briefed the NSC about his recent visit to Karachi where he chaired an important meeting on law and order.

“Karachi is important and it cannot be left at the mercy of troublemakers,” the source summed up the unanimity of view between the civilian and military brass over maintaining peace in the provincial metropolis.

Abbasi, during his Karachi’s visit, had assigned Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair the role of focal person or ‘bridge’ between the military’s top command and civilian governments in Sindh and at the Centre for effective coordination in the counterterrorism drive, the insider said.

PM meets aides

Meanwhile, PM’s Aviation Adviser Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan and SAFRON Minister Lt-Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch separately called on the prime minister and discussed with him the relevant official matters.