Parliament bypassed in making security policy: Rabbani

ISLAMABAD: Former Chairman Senate Senator Mian Raza Rabbani on Tuesday expressed disappointment over bypassing Parliament for formulation of the National Security Policy (NSP) saying that the policy approved by the National Security Committee was devoid of any input by the legislature nor was it taken into confidence.

“This draft report should have been shared by the Parliamentary Committee on National Security with the National Security Council. After its input, the report should have been placed before a joint sitting of the Parliament for further national debate,” he said in a statement.

Rabbani said like the TLP Agreement, the NSP has been promised to be shared with the nation at some appropriate time. “Factually, the NSP should have been originated in the Parliamentary Committee on National Security. This committee should have carried out exhaustive consultations with all stakeholders, including the armed forces, academia, think tanks and related government departments,” he said.

The former chairman Senate said that final recommendations should have been placed before the cabinet for approval but it is unfortunate that in a parliamentary democracy the policy was not circulated to either Parliament or cabinet and has been approved. He advised the government to place the NSP before Parliament.