After the National Assembly of Pakistan (NA) voted in favour of a resolution rejecting the Supreme Court of Pakistan's (SC) order to hold elections to the Punjab Assembly on May 14, prime minister Shehbaz Sharif called a meeting of the national security committee (NSC) on Friday (today). The NSC is chaired by the premier and includes senior ministers, senior military commanders, intelligence chiefs, and other high-ranking law enforcement and security officials. According to seasoned journalist Kamran Yousaf, the NSC meeting will clarify the establishment's position vis-à-vis elections.
The latest meeting of the NSC has been called on Friday April 7 in the backdrop of heightened political tensions spilling over into a constitutional crisis over the past week, which have put the PDM government and the SC - or, more appropriately, its chief justice - at loggerheads.
The miltablishment has so far been mum over its approach to the government's aggressive posturing, as well as to overtures by former prime minister and PTI chairman Imran Khan to "patch up" relations. A day earlier, Kamran Yousaf had reported that senior military commanders from within the establishment were advising army chief Gen. Asim Munir to allow the Punjab elections to take place. Whether Gen. Asim Munir will act on this advice or not, will become clear after the NSC meeting tomorrow, as per Kamran Yousaf. He reports that after the SC judgment, there was a meeting between prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, chief of army staff Gen. Asim Munir, and DG ISI Lt. Gen. Nadeem Anjum, at which some 'homework' was done and it was decided to call a meeting of the national security committee.
Two highly publicized meetings of the NSC took place earlier on December 30, 2022 and then January 2 this year, after a surreptitious rise in terrorist attacks rocked the country. Yousaf notes that recent meetings of the NSC have also deliberated on the country's deteriorating economic conditions as an agenda item. Pakistan's current civil-military leadership believes that national security cannot be maintained without economic stability. "Whatever Pakistan's situation is economically and politically, it is known that the establishment has always had a role, and it is not possible that the situation will be resolved without them playing a role," Yousaf said in his latest vlog.
It had been reported that the PDM government was perturbed at Imran Khan apparently still receiving support from factions within the current establishment. On March 30, Yousaf reported that these concerns had been raised to the army chief and DG ISI Lt. Gen. Nadeem Anjum, who assured the government that any support base for Khan that existed within the military "had been neutralised". The top generals also affirmed to the civilian leadership that any "support" to Khan from the courts had nothing to do with the miltablishment, and even reminded the government they had legislative powers that they could use in this situation.
Kamran Yousaf noted that due to the prevailing security situation, the Pakistan Army had formally declined to provide its resources and personnel for security duties at elections that were scheduled for April 30. Extending this argument, Yousaf believed that in the NSC meeting on Friday, it is possible that the military could end up siding with the government in the matter of elections. "If the military establishment wanted to keep itself out of the fray, then the NSC meeting would not have been called," Kamran Yousaf purports. If the NSC endorses the NA resolution - that elections are not feasible in the current security environment and economic situation, and that the SC must 'revisit' its decision on the Punjab elections - then it will be the clearest indication which side the miltablishment stands on, Kamran Yousaf argued.
"These are all hypotheticals," Yousaf clarified, adding that "we will get clarity on this only after tomorrow's NSC meeting".
The latest meeting of the NSC has been called on Friday April 7 in the backdrop of heightened political tensions spilling over into a constitutional crisis over the past week, which have put the PDM government and the SC - or, more appropriately, its chief justice - at loggerheads.
The miltablishment has so far been mum over its approach to the government's aggressive posturing, as well as to overtures by former prime minister and PTI chairman Imran Khan to "patch up" relations. A day earlier, Kamran Yousaf had reported that senior military commanders from within the establishment were advising army chief Gen. Asim Munir to allow the Punjab elections to take place. Whether Gen. Asim Munir will act on this advice or not, will become clear after the NSC meeting tomorrow, as per Kamran Yousaf. He reports that after the SC judgment, there was a meeting between prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, chief of army staff Gen. Asim Munir, and DG ISI Lt. Gen. Nadeem Anjum, at which some 'homework' was done and it was decided to call a meeting of the national security committee.
Two highly publicized meetings of the NSC took place earlier on December 30, 2022 and then January 2 this year, after a surreptitious rise in terrorist attacks rocked the country. Yousaf notes that recent meetings of the NSC have also deliberated on the country's deteriorating economic conditions as an agenda item. Pakistan's current civil-military leadership believes that national security cannot be maintained without economic stability. "Whatever Pakistan's situation is economically and politically, it is known that the establishment has always had a role, and it is not possible that the situation will be resolved without them playing a role," Yousaf said in his latest vlog.
It had been reported that the PDM government was perturbed at Imran Khan apparently still receiving support from factions within the current establishment. On March 30, Yousaf reported that these concerns had been raised to the army chief and DG ISI Lt. Gen. Nadeem Anjum, who assured the government that any support base for Khan that existed within the military "had been neutralised". The top generals also affirmed to the civilian leadership that any "support" to Khan from the courts had nothing to do with the miltablishment, and even reminded the government they had legislative powers that they could use in this situation.
Kamran Yousaf noted that due to the prevailing security situation, the Pakistan Army had formally declined to provide its resources and personnel for security duties at elections that were scheduled for April 30. Extending this argument, Yousaf believed that in the NSC meeting on Friday, it is possible that the military could end up siding with the government in the matter of elections. "If the military establishment wanted to keep itself out of the fray, then the NSC meeting would not have been called," Kamran Yousaf purports. If the NSC endorses the NA resolution - that elections are not feasible in the current security environment and economic situation, and that the SC must 'revisit' its decision on the Punjab elections - then it will be the clearest indication which side the miltablishment stands on, Kamran Yousaf argued.
"These are all hypotheticals," Yousaf clarified, adding that "we will get clarity on this only after tomorrow's NSC meeting".