Islamabad - There are signs that some new guiding documents and policies pertaining to different aspects of country’s security will be released in 2018 but it is unclear whether the parliament has been engaged in the processes of making these policies.

These upcoming security policies include National Security Policy, review of National Internal Security Policy, and National Counter Extremism Policy.

These views were shared at a discussion on “Emerging Security Threats in Pakistan”, hosted by Pak Institute for Peace Studies, an Islamabad-based think tank, at the launch of its Annual Security Report 2017.

PIPS Director Muhammad Amir Rana shared the National Security Policy which is expected to be released this year, as the country’s first such policy. It is believed to be covering both traditional and non-traditional aspects of security, and taking into consideration the global and regional dynamics affecting Pakistan. It is also being said that the National Internal Security Policy will be reviewed this year and that the national narrative against extremists has also been finalized.

However, Amir Rana expressed concern about why key forums like the parliament are missing from the process of shaping these policies.

Participants also discussed the role of National Action Plan, a crucial document against extremism. Amir Rana noted that despite a period of three years since formation of NAP, there was still ambiguity about which government body was in-charge of the plan. He said that different bodies had been tasked to deal with it. These include the 16 implementation committees constituted immediately after NAP, the Ministry of Interior, the apex committees in the provinces, NACTA, and National Security Advisor.

On the potential rise of Islamic State in Pakistan, scholar Farhan Zahid said that even though militant organizations like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan were in contact with the IS, the state was serious about confronting them. This, he said, is evident from the statements of key officials.

Senior journalist Tahir Khan argued that militancy still exists in FATA, despite government’s actions. Sharing sentiments of tribal residents, he said that they want basic rights and expressed concern about why the process of implementing FATA reforms was slow.

Earlier, sharing findings of PIPS Annual Security Report, the institute’s senior project manager Muhammad Ismail Khan said that buzzword for 2017 appeared to mainstreaming since the word was used in one or another context. There were talks of mainstreaming FATA, mainstreaming madrassah or their students, and mainstreaming militants. Yet, the progress to these ends seems to be either halted or not publicized.

our staff reporter