Issue of hostile agencies to be raised at international forums

Cabinet’s national security committee meets

ISLAMABAD: The civil and military leadership in a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) of the federal cabinet on Wednesday decided to raise the issue of activities of hostile agencies in Pakistan at international forums.

The meeting has taken place in the aftermath of the arrest of an Indian intelligence agency officer and an Afghan intelligence agent from the Chaman area of Balochistan, who were fomenting terrorism in the country and working against the integrity of Pakistan. An Afghan intelligence agent was arrested by security forces in the bordering area with Afghanistan. Earlier on March 3, RAW agent Kulbhushan Yadav was arrested from Balochistan.

The fifth meeting of the committee was held here at the Prime Minister’s House and  was chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and attended by the top brass of the three services and members of the committee from the federal cabinet. The meeting has conspicuous significance in the wake of the just concluded Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) in Washington convened by US President Barrack Obama.

Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, who was also a part of Pakistan’s delegation to the NSS, shared his observations. He briefed the meeting on the international acknowledgement of safety and security standards of Pakistan’s nuclear security regime and the National Command Authority (NCA).

Highly-placed sources told The News that Special Assistant to Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi, who attended the summit on behalf of the prime minister, submitted a detailed report pertaining to the NSS. The meeting was briefed on the steps being taken for national security in the country. The committee expressed satisfaction over counter terrorism efforts of the security institutions, which have drawn wide and broad appreciation from international leadership. The meeting discussed the security situation in the country and reviewed intelligence-based operations (IBOs) being carried out in various parts of the country.

The armed forces development programme, including the procurement of F-16 fighter jets from the US, was also discussed. Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Rashad Mahmood, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah, Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman, Director General Inter-Services Intelligence (DG ISI) Lieutenant General Rizwan Akhtar, Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Secretary to Prime Minister Fawad Hasan Fawad, Secretary NSC Muhammad Sadiq Khan and National Security Adviser Lieutenant General (retd) Nasser Khan Janjua attended the meeting.