NSC meets today amid govt-judiciary standoff

Sources say meeting to take stock of ‘current situation’ after SC ruling on polls

ISLAMABAD:

 

The National Security Committee (NSC), the highest forum to discuss issues of national importance – including security, will meet on Friday (today) against the backdrop of a deepening political crisis.

There was no official word on the high-powered huddle to be chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and attended by senior cabinet ministers, services and intelligence chiefs as well as all the relevant officials.

Sources said the meeting would take stock of the “current situation”, particularly after the Supreme Court ruling that directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold elections in Punjab on May 14.

The government, in an unusual move, rejected the Supreme Court’s decision terming it a “minority verdict” while the National Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution against the top court.

The lower house of parliament urged the government and the premier not to obey the apex court orders as it was a “minority verdict”.

But despite the government's reservations, the ECP already announced a schedule for the elections in Punjab in line with the Supreme Court’s verdict.

Read PM urges SC to review its decision on Punjab poll, constitute full bench

The key issue, however, remained whether the government would spare the army troops and financial resources for the election exercise in the largest province of the country.

The defence secretary during the apex court proceedings submitted a classified report about the security situation in the country.

When the election commission had earlier postponed polls till October, it cited reluctance by the army to provide troops for the election duties as one of the reasons behind the delay.

Observers believed that the outcome of the NSC meeting would decide whether elections would take place in Punjab on May 14 or not.

The NSC meeting would also be keenly followed for its indication whether the military leadership would endorse the government’s move to confront the Supreme Court.

Some observers believed that the fact that the NSC meeting was being called at this crucial juncture showed that the security establishment was supporting the government’s view.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan smelled a rat in the government’s move to convene the NSC meeting, saying that it would use “security as a pretext” to justify postponement of the elections.

The former premier said the “imported government-convened NSC” would expose the armed forces not only to the judiciary but directly to the nation.

Imran maintained that now a meeting of the NSC had been called to try to postpone the elections and use security as a justification.

He said it was now clear that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) wanted to avoid the elections in any case.

The PTI chairman went on to say that the PDM government introduced an unconstitutional law regarding the Supreme Court and passed a resolution against the judiciary in the National Assembly.