National security: ‘Military doctrine has to be rethought’

Ashraf says combating terrorism requires more than just army action.

ISLAMABAD:

Amidst an upsurge in militant violence in the country, Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has called for redesigning the military doctrine to counter forces bent on “derailing the system.”

“It is essential to stand against those forces who want to derail the system … We have to redesign and redefine our military doctrine to achieve this objective,” he told a certificate distribution ceremony at the National Defence University in Islamabad on Friday.

Ashraf’s statement came two days after media reported that Pakistan Army has come up with a new Army doctrine in which it identified “home-grown militancy” as the biggest threat to national security.

The prime minister linked national security to political stability and said a comprehensive strategy was required to deal with terrorism in the country. Combating the menace requires more than army action and that political will and public support are critical to success in this regard, he said.

The threat of terrorism and extremism also involves a clash of ideas and battle for hearts and minds, he added. “We have to expose the hollowness of this regressive mindset.”



Pledging that the government would provide necessary resources to the armed forces in the war against terror, he urged institutions responsible for national security to improve intelligence gathering and establish effective coordination among civil-military institutions to tackle the menace.

“The entire nation and Parliament stand behind the armed forces in their struggle to secure the future of our children,” he said, while acknowledging the sacrifices rendered by the security forces, law enforcement agencies and civilians in the war against terrorism.

The premier observed that national security has become an increasingly complex concept and traditional notions of security and sovereignty were being constantly redefined.

“There is a need for coming to grips with the implications of this flux in intra-state and international relations,” he said, adding that the effective pursuit of national security goals requires developing a strategic framework encompassing all elements of national power.



Premier Ashraf identified sustainable socio-economic growth, political sovereignty and stability, rule of law, food security, stable state institutions and technological advancements as key imperatives of a comprehensive national security framework.

Threats to Pakistan stem mainly from non-state actors who are targeting the state’s symbols and institutions in a bid to impose their agenda, he said.

Hinting at influential scholar Dr Tahirul Qadri’s movement, the premier said, “The forces of ‘doom and gloom thrive in an environment of chaos, uncertainty and instability’.

“We need to guard against all such forces which are out to derail the system and this is where the role of media comes in. They will have to build a consensus on the broad contours of national security.” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2013.