Wednesday, 29 December, 2021 I 24 Jamadi-al-Awwal, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 181 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition
Cabinet approves pakistan’s first-ever national seCurity poliCy: Moeed
ISLAMABAD
a
staff report
meeting of the cabinet adopted the nation’s first-ever National Security Policy Tuesday, a day after it was approved by the National Security Committee (NSC), National Security Adviser (NSA) Moeed Yusuf announced. “It is a truly historic achievement; a citizen-centric comprehensive [national security] policy with economic security at the core will now be pursued in earnest,” Yusuf said. Prime Minister Imran Khan, who chaired the successive meetings, Monday said the policy must guide all organs of the government to ensure their efforts are synchronised with the overall direction of the policy. He stressed the security of Pakistan rests in the security of its people and reposed confidence that “Pakistan is well prepared to meet any internal and external threats”. To ensure the people-centric approach to security, the policy put economic security at the core, the prime minister said, adding a stronger economy would create additional resources that
would, in turn, be judiciously distributed to further bolster military and human security. Today, Yusuf said the policy, contents of which have not been yet shared publicly, will help guide “sectoral policies for the fulfilment of our national security objectives”. He thanked the civil and military leadership for their support and input, adding the policy would “never have come to light without Prime Minister’s constant leadership and encouragement”. “The success of the policy will lie in its implementation for which a plan has been developed,” the official further said. A public version of it will be launched by Khan in due course, he announced. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar said the policy was an important milestone in strengthening Pakistan’s national security. “The comprehensive framework recognises interlinkages between various strands of national security, imperative to meet emerging challenges in [the] evolving global environment through a whole of government effort,” he said. “Pakistan’s armed forces will play their due part in achieving the vision laid out in
the policy,” the ISPR director general said. The policy On Monday, the National Security Committee, which is the government’s top-most consultative and decision-making body for coordinating issues pertaining to national security, approved the policy. The session, presided over by Prime Minister Imran, was attended by the federal ministers for foreign affairs, defence, information and broadcasting, interior, finance and human rights, the national security adviser, services chiefs and senior officials. The five-year policy document covering the period 2022-26 is being flaunted by the government as the first-ever strategy paper of its kind that sets out the state’s national security vision and guidelines for the attainment of those goals. It will guide the government’s foreign, defence and economic policies and decision-making. It reportedly seeks to leverage the symbiotic linkages among human security, economic security and military security with safety and prosperity of citizens being at the centre of the whole-of-government approach. It covers both traditional and non-traditional security challenges, including economy, food, water, military security, terrorism, population growth and dealings with the external world, especially major powers. The document places special emphasis on economic diplomacy as the focus of Pakistan’s foreign policy aimed at avoiding being sucked into bloc politics in a world order under transition. It has been prepared by the National Security Division. Several rounds of feedback consultations on multiple drafts were held with all state institutions, including provincial governments and the governments of GilgitBaltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Over 600 academics, analysts, civil society members and students across Pakistan have been consulted to make the policy process inclusive.
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NIH confirms 75 cases of Omicron variant in Pakistan Pakistan has reported a total of 75 cases of the Covid-19 Omicron variant so far, as per the statement by National Institute of Health (NIH) on Tuesday. The NIH stated that since Omicron was considered to be a designated variant of concern by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination (NHSRC), the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) and the provincial departments were monitoring the emergence of Omicron cases in Pakistan. As per the statement, “the first case of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 was reported on December 13 in Karachi” “As of December 27, a total of 75 Omicron cases have been confirmed; 33 in Karachi, 17 in Islamabad and 13 in Lahore,” the statement said, adding that the remaining 12 cases were associated with international travel. The NIH did not provide any further details. “The relevant authorities have isolated the patients and initiated contract tracing in order to control the spread of the variant,” the NIH said. “All government approved
Covid-19 vaccines available in Pakistan remain highly effective at preventing severe disease and hospitalisation. The government urges everyone to get both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine as well as the booster dose as per the eligibility criteria and process,” the statement added. Vaccination and following standard operating procedures (SOPs) continue to be our best defence against Covid-19 despite the mutations being reported, the statement added. It is pertinent to note that Pakistan reported its first suspected case of the Omicron variant on December 8. Following its gene-sequencing, Aga Khan University Hospital confirmed it was the new variant on December 13. Later on December 25, Islamabad had confirmed its first case. Islamabad District Health Officer (DHO) Zaeem Zia stated that the case was detected in a 47-year-old male, adding that he was working in Islamabad and had travelled out of city for workrelated purposes. The patient had no history of travelling abroad, he said. news desk
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