With zero meetings, the role of National Security Committee (NSC) significantly declined during first year of PMLN-led Government

The Govt should reactivate and enhance NSC role as premier Civil-Military forum of security policy deliberations.

PILDAT issues its yearly review of NSC performance for 2024-2025 

The annual performance review of the National Security Committee (NSC) conducted by PILDAT for the period from March 4, 2024, to March 3, 2025, highlights a disturbing trend in Pakistan’s governance system. The NSC, which was established in 2013 as the primary forum for national security ‘decision-making’, did not convene a single meeting during the entire year. 2024-25, therefore, became the first year since the formation of the NSC when the Committee did not meet even once. This marks a significant decline in the committee’s role and an apparent but informal shift in the forum where the national leadership deliberates upon vital security issues facing the country. There is no indication either that the Cabinet Committee on Defence which provided such a forum before the creation of NSC, has been re-operationalised.

Historically, the NSC served as Pakistan’s principal platform for civil-military consultations on security affairs. The committee’s effectiveness has varied under different administrations, with some governments convening regular meetings and others ignoring its role. For instance, PM Nawaz Sharif convened only eight NSC meetings during his tenure from 2013 to 2017, while Shahid Khaqan Abbasi significantly increased the frequency, averaging nearly seventeen meetings per year. Imran Khan averaged approximately three NSC meetings annually, whereas Shehbaz Sharif, in his previous tenure from 2022 to 2023, convened an average of five per year.[1]

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However, in the past year of the current PML-N-led coalition government, which took office in March 2024, the NSC has not met a single time, despite escalating security threats especially the terrorism-related incidents both in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan resulting in significant increase in the fatalities of security personnel and innocent civilians. This is particularly concerning given Pakistan’s deteriorating security landscape, which has witnessed a sharp increase in terrorist violence, including a deadly attack in Balochistan on August 25, 2024 that claimed the lives of 50 civilians and security personnel. The attack, attributed to the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), had significant geopolitical and economic ramifications, particularly for Chinese-backed infrastructure projects.[2]

The absence of NSC meetings is also reflected in the government’s responses to security incidents. Instead of convening the NSC, the government seems to have relied on military-led forums such as the Corps Commanders Conference and the civilian-led Apex Committees of the National Action Plan. This has further sidelined the NSC’s role in structured policy consultation.

Unlike the NSC, the Federal Cabinet has convened relatively more frequently i.e. 42 times from March 4, 2024 to March 3, 2025 although, according to the Federal Government’s Rules of Business, the federal cabinet should have met for minimum 52 times or once a week indicating that the Cabinet meetings during the year were about 19% less than the required by the rules.

Another critical concern is the continued absence of a National Security Advisor (NSA), leaving a strategic vacuum in Pakistan’s security policy framework. In contrast, countries with established national security mechanisms, such as the United Kingdom, ensure regular NSC meetings, often on a weekly basis, to proactively manage security risks. Pakistan’s lack of an institutionalized national security approach weakens democratic oversight and limits the country’s ability to respond effectively to security threats through structured consultations.[3]

The Implications of this trend may have significant and far-reaching consequences for Pakistan’s security and governance. The neglect of the NSC may lead to lack of coordination and coherence in national security policy deliberations. This, in turn, can exacerbate existing security challenges and create new ones.

Furthermore, the marginalization of institutions led by elected PM, such as the NSC, can have a corrosive effect on the country’s democratic system as a whole. This, in turn, may lead to decline in civilian oversight and accountability, ultimately undermining the principles of democracy and the rule of law.

In light of these concerns, PILDAT emphasizes the urgent need to not only restore but also enhance the NSC’s role as the key institution for national security policy deliberations leading to presentation of choices to the federal cabinet – the apex decision and policy making body of the state. PILDAT presents the following key recommendations:

  1. Mandatory Regular Meetings: The NSC should be required to convene at least once a month, with this provision incorporated into the Rules of Business to ensure compliance.
  2. Strategic Civil-Military Dialogue: The NSC must be actively utilized for discussions on long-term civil-military relations, counterterrorism policies, and national security strategies.
  3. Institutional Strengthening: The Planning Committee and Advisory Board of the NSC which were originally envisaged in the scheme, should be fully formed and activated to provide research-backed assessments and recommendations for security policy.
  4. Strategic Review: The government should conduct a strategic review of the NSC’s role and functioning, with a view to strengthening its capacity and effectiveness in addressing national security challenges.

If the trend of neglecting the NSC persists, the forum risks becoming obsolete, further diminishing the role of institutions where civil and military leadership can jointly deliberate on security policymaking thus possibly exacerbating Pakistan’s already complex security challenges.

Ultimately, the restoration of the NSC’s role is crucial for addressing Pakistan’s complex security challenges and ensuring the country’s long-term stability and sovereignty. The government must prioritize the NSC’s revitalization and ensure that it is equipped with the necessary resources and mandate to provide effective guidance on national security matters.

References

  1. “Performance of the National Security Committee – April 11, 2023 – March 04, 2024” PILDAT online, May 09, 2024, accessed January 20, 2025. https://pildat.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/NSC-PerformanceReport2023-2024.pdf ↑

  2. Abdullah Zehri, “Balochistan rocked by violence as multiple attacks claim more than 50 lives; 21 terrorists killed” Dawn online, August 26, 2024, accessed September 04, 2024. https://www.dawn.com/news/1854838 ↑

  3. Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, “Missing NSC”, Dawn online, September 07, 2024, accessed September 10, 2024. https://www.dawn.com/news/1857497 ↑