Opposition demands placing NSP before parliament

With PML-N’s exception, other parties say govt didn’t discuss policy in both houses

ISLAMABAD:

Opposition parties, excluding the PML-N, on Saturday demanded that the National Security Policy (NSP) must be placed before parliament as they expressed concerns over the ruling party’s move of bypassing the highest legislative forum of the country while formulating the document.

The demand of the lawmakers from the PPP and JUI-F has come a day after the Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated the public version of the country’s first-ever security policy, saying it was a step in the right direction.

The opposition parties’ demand of presenting the policy before the National Assembly and Senate has come on the heels of its earlier decision to boycott a meeting of a parliamentary committee where National Security Advisor (NSA) Moeed Yusuf had briefed the lawmakers about the policy.

“Parliament has no knowledge of the National Security Policy. Bypassing the opposition and parliament on this issue is a matter of concern,” PPP MNA Dr Nafisa Shah said.

Also read: National security policy a great step: COAS

“The present incompetent government is unfamiliar with parliamentary traditions,” she added.

While accusing the federal government of “politicising national security issues”, she said that showing lack of confidence in parliament raised a big question mark.

“The government should refrain itself from disrespecting parliament.”

PPP Central Information Secretary Shazia Marri also expressed grave concerns on the government’s move of issuing the NSP without taking the opposition and parliament into confidence.

“Announcing a policy without taking parliament into confidence is tantamount to disrespecting the parliament,” Marri said.

“The government did not discuss the NSP in both the houses.”

She demanded that the PTI-led government should immediately take parliament into confidence on the matter.

JUI-F’s Shahida Akhtar Ali said parliament had been turned into a rubber stamp.

Also read: Cabinet approves Pakistan’s first-ever National Security Policy: NSA

“However, we still we say that the NSP be presented before it,” she added, while regretting the frequent bulldozing of bills from the lower house of the parliament.

Commenting on the document, the JUI-F lawmaker said the government had issued the NSP without taking input from all the parties.

“Avoiding the voice of the elected representatives makes it clear that it’s not a ‘consensus document’”.

To the question, Shahida replied that the opposition had boycotted the earlier meeting because an unelected person, the NSA, was asked to brief the parliamentarians.

Responding to the opposition parties’ demand, Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry told The Express Tribune that a meeting was convened to discuss the NSP and all the opposition parties, including the relevant committees, were invited.

“However, the opposition had boycotted that meeting,” he added.

Also read: National Security Policy of Pakistan 2022-2026 - An appraisal

“We can convene another meeting if the opposition asks us in writing. They can send a written request through the speaker’s office. It’s not a problem.”

Separately, the PML-N spokesperson said that the party was reviewing the NSP. “It is being internally discussed and we will come up with detailed version later.”

In December last year, the joint opposition parties had announced boycotting the briefing over the prime minister’s constant absence. It also accused the government of riding roughshod over the Constitution and making parliament a “rubber stamp”.

Despite the government’s request to review its decision, the opposition parties had stayed away from the meeting.