ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Friday urged national security institutions to further improve intelligence gathering and establish effective coordination among civil and military institutions to comprehensively tackle terrorism.
"We have to redesign and redefine our military doctrine to achieve this objective," he told participants here at a Certificate Awards Distribution Ceremony of 14th National Security Workshop, organised by the National Defence University.
The Prime Minister said the threats to Pakistan's national security stem mainly from non-state actors who were targeting state's symbols and institutions in a bid to impose their agenda.
He described the enemy as "name-less and face-less," and assured all possible support and resources by the government to counter these elements.
He also acknowledged the "huge sacrifices" rendered by "brave security forces, law enforcement agencies and citizens" in the war against terrorism.
He said Parliament was the mother of all institutions, a repository of people's aspirations and the custodian of national interests.
He said no military action alone can succeed and political will and support of the people were critical to its success.
"The entire nation and Pakistan's Parliament stand behind their armed forces in their struggle to secure the future of our children", he added.
He said the democratic government can rightfully take pride in the fact that it gave political ownership to war against terrorism and described the Swat Model as a combination of political strategy and modern warfare.
He said for national security it was incumbent that every institution works within the constitutional ambit. "Political stability is critically linked to national security," he added.
Prime Minister Ashraf said the forces of doom and gloom thrive in an environment of chaos, uncertainty and instability.
"We need to guard against all such forces who are out to derail the system so assiduously put in place after a protracted struggle."
He said "This is where the role of media comes in. They will have to build consensus on broad contours of national security."
He said the threat of terrorism and extremism also involves a clash of ideas and battle for hearts and minds. "This war is also psychological. We have to expose the hollowness of this regressive mindset," he added.
The Prime Minister said he has unflinching faith in the people and have always risen to the occasion. "We will defeat the forces of darkness who cast evil designs on our culture, values and a way of life. I have no doubt about it", he added.
The Prime Minister said the National Security today has become a very complex and multi-faceted concept and the world was undergoing dynamic changes, with traditional notions of security and sovereignty being constantly redefined.
"There is a need to come to grips with the implications of this flux in intra-state and international relations," he said and added that effective pursuit of national security goals requires developing a strategic framework which encompasses all elements of national power.
He said the key imperatives of a comprehensive national security paradigm include sustainable socio-economic growth, political sovereignty and stability, rule of law, food security, stable state institutions and technological advancements.
The Prime Minister said the People's Party government was endeavouring to promote political reconciliation, harmony and strengthening democracy and said these were critical for protection of national security interests.
He said economic diplomacy was an integral part of foreign policy and the grant of GSP plus status to Pakistan by the European Union bears testimony to its efforts in seeking concessions to enhance international trade relations.
The Prime Minister also acknowledged the importance of national security workshops and said these perform the essential task of intellectual capacity building, foster a better perception of the challenges and problems that confront Pakistan, pave way for developing consensus on key issues, and bring together people from diverse backgrounds to boost national integration and nation- building.
He called for enhancing the frequency of such workshops and congratulated the participants on successful completion of studies on Comprehensive National Security. He also commended the National Defence University for conducting the National Security Workshops.
He expressed the confidence that the knowledge gained by the participants will make a significant contribution towards good governance and speedy and judicious decision-making.
He termed the workshops as strategic initiatives, as they afford an opportunity of exchange of ideas to a cross-section of national opinion including parliamentarians, civil bureaucracy and civil society.
He expressed the hope that National Defence University will continue to play its role in enabling the senior leadership of the country to address national security issues.
Earlier President National Defence University Lt Gen Nasser Khan Janjua received the Prime Minister when he arrived for the event.
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