Islamabad:
The National Security Committee (NSC), the main forum led by civilians in the country for the formulation of security policies, did not even meet in the last year, marking an unprecedented period of operation, according to the annual performance review issued by the Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency of Pakistan (Pildat).
The annual performance evaluation of the NSC carried out by Pildat for a period of March 5, 2024 to March 4, 2025, highlights a disturbing trend in the governance structure.
Established in 2013, the NSC did not convene a single meeting throughout the year, doing 2024-25 the first time in history that the committee remained completely inactive.
While the federal cabinet meets regularly, there were no indications that the Cabinet Defense Committee provided by said forum before the creation of NSC, has been reappeared.
The report indicated that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, during his 2013-17 mandate, convened only eight NSC meetings, while Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, during his mandate from August 2017 to May 2018, significantly increased the frequency, averaging almost 10 meetings per year.
Imran Khan, prime minister from 2018 to 2022, averaged approximately three NSC meetings annually, while Shehbaz Sharif, in his previous mandate from 2022 to 2023, convened an average of five per year.
However, in the last year (2024) of the current coalition government led by PML-N, which assumed the position in March 2024, the NSC has not fulfilled only once.
The absence of NSC meetings is also reflected in government responses to security incidents. Instead of calling the NSC, the Government seems to have depended on forums led by the Army such as the Body Commanders Conference and the Apex Committee of the National Action Plan.
This has set aside the role of the NSC in the formulation of structured policies, the report said.
The report pointed out that another critical concern was the continuous absence of a National Security Advisor (NSA), leaving a strategic vacuum in the Pakistan security policy framework.
On the contrary, countries with established national security mechanisms, such as the United Kingdom, ensure regular NSC meetings, often weekly, to proactively manage security risks.
“Pildat believes that the lack of Pakistan of an institutionalized national security approach weakens democratic supervision and limits the country’s ability to respond effectively to security threats through structured consultations.”
