Parliament, media first line of defence for national security

18 Jun, 2012

He expressed these views while talking to the Defence Reporters' Forum (DRF) here at Parliament House and added that media is playing a very positive and proactive role in promoting accountability and transparency and it has to play a meaningful role in national defence also.

Senator Mushahid Hussain said that they were the first to visit the families of the martyrs of the Gyari Sector and expressed solidarity with the bereaved families.

He said the website of the committee would be launched soon and the first report of the Defence Committee would be presented in the Senate next month and the committee would act as a bridge between Khaki and Mufti, adding that civil military harmony is the need of the time.

He appreciated the cooperation extended by ISPR during their visit to Gyari Sector victims.

He said that the committee would also seek to inject innovative and strategic thinking on defence issues and we need to focus on non-military threats like Cyber Warfare, water issue, energy, anti Pakistan propaganda and climate change etc.

Senator Mushahid apprised the Defence Reporters Forum (DRF) about the two track work plan approved by the Defence Committee in its meeting on June 13, combining official briefings with public hearings. Public hearings would invite expert opinion of the prominent defence professionals, scholars and experts.

He said that the committee would also get briefings from the ministries of Defence and Defence Production besides visiting Service headquarters to have interaction with the services chiefs and than crystallizing all the informationin the form of Defence Policy Strategy document.

He said that Defence Reporting workshops and briefings would also be arranged for media on a regular basis.

He hoped that media would continue to play a positive role in promoting Pakistan's national objectives in the changing regional and global scenario and added that the regional situation requires us to reassess our needs and chalk out a practical strategy to play a decisive role in the region.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2012

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