Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Security Division and Strategic Policy Planning, Dr Moeed Yousuf has called for initiating a national security dialogue in parallel with the world’s best security platforms.
He made these remarks at the two-day national security dialogue that commenced on Wednesday.
“As a country as important as Pakistan, we should have a platform where ideas can be exchanged, and others may come and join the dialogue,” Yousuf said. “Our goal is to make it an annual event paralleling the world’s best security dialogues, where the world would come and talk to us on our soil, on our terms,” he added.
The SAPM said that Pakistan needs a coherent narrative to promote its reality to the world, adding: “We have been treated unfairly over the years, especially by the foreign media that paints Pakistan in a negative light; that’s an area that’s our responsibility to address.”
Yousuf maintained that perhaps the most important and relevant aspect for today’s occasion is this idea of the culture of more inclusive policy-making. “We have immense talent in universities, faculties, youth, the think-tanks. A lot of money is spent and a lot of good ideas are generated. Unfortunately, the public sector wasn’t geared up to take these up and use them optimally,” he noted.
He said the national security division created a pool of experts a year ago, where Pakistan’s best minds in the aspects related to comprehensive security, be it traditional security, diplomacy, climatic security, and food security were brought together to advise the government. “The recommendations that we are giving today are part of their partnership,” he maintained.
