Top civilian, military leadership gather at PM House for NSC meeting

A meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) discussed matters of national security, the situation in Afghanistan, and other important issues on Friday, reports Dawn.

The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and attended by senior cabinet members, Pakistan’s national security adviser, and the services and intelligence chiefs. However, the new director-general of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) Nadeem Anjum was not there, as the official take-over takes a few days.

PM Imran was given a detailed briefing on the evolving regional security situation, “particularly the recent developments in Afghanistan and their possible impact on Pakistan”, according to the statement issued by the Prime Minister Office (PMO).

“The participants noted, with concern, the dire humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and emphasised the urgent need for the international community to provide assistance to avert a humanitarian crisis,” the press release said.

Committee members stressed that the evolving situation in the region was “extremely complex”, and that any instability in Afghanistan could have severe implications for Pakistan.

“Agreeing with this view, the prime minister stressed the need for a coordinated policy effort,” the PMO said. It added that the premier issued directions for the establishment of a dedicated cell to synergise various streams of efforts on Afghanistan across the government, including international coordination for humanitarian assistance and effective border management to prevent “any negative spillover” into Pakistan.