ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday chaired a high-levelmeeting of the National Security Committee to discuss internal securityissues and situation in Afghanistan, said Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid.
The meeting was attended by Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the headsof the Pakistan Navy and the Pakistan Air Force. The chief of theInter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was also in attendance, the minister toldreporters after the meeting.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, National Security Adviser MoeedYusuf, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak,Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin and Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry alsoattended the meeting.
Rashid said the high-level meeting also discussed the situation along thecountry’s borders as it deliberated on the internal security situation indetail.
In an earlier media talk, Rashid said that the government was willing totalk to the opposition on the extension granted to the NationalAccountability Bureau (NAB) chairperson, Justice (r) Javed Iqbal. Rashidsaid the government was ready to talk on all issues pertaining to the NABchief’s extension approved earlier this week.
The remarks by the federal minister came days after President Arif Alvipromulgated the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) to grant anextension to the incumbent NAB chief until it can find a successor toreplace him.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) appears divided on consultations withthe opposition leader in the National Assembly, Shehbaz Sharif, over theappointment of a new chairperson.
Three days ago, it was reported that after a debate, Prime Minister ImranKhan had agreed with the attorney general of Pakistan that the NAopposition leader should be consulted over the issue.
However, a day later, Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry ruled outthe possibility of consulting Shehbaz Sharif regarding the appointment.
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“The opposition has to change its leader, if they want a consultation withthe government on the appointment of the NAB’s chairman,” he said in a newsconference.
During today’s presser, Rashid slammed the opposition leaders over theircriticism of the security institutions. He said those who were grilling theinstitutions would “fall flat on their faces”.
The interior minister said that criticising the state institutions is the“political death of these people”, adding that the opposition has done nowork on the ground.
He claimed that the opposition will fail again as there was only a yearleft in the general elections. “Under the leadership of Imran Khan, we willfight the elections enthusiastically and bring change,” he added.
According to the minister, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) willsplit into three factions in the run-up to the elections.
He said the next 120 days would be “important” in Pakistani politics,adding that after Oct 22, the local politics will become “very happening”.He further added that Pakistan was going through a “sensitive period”.
“Our politicians are looking towards the West, while [global] politics ismoving towards the East,” the minister said, adding that this was a timefor “serious politics” as Pakistan will bear the brunt if anything happenedin Afghanistan.
