ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) today, Friday, amid deepening political and economic instability and a power struggle between the government and the higher judiciary.
The top court had on Tuesday ruled illegal the election commission’s move to delay snap polls in two provinces, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where former prime minister Imran Khan and his allies had dissolved provincial legislative governments in January in a bid to force early general elections since Pakista historically holds provincial and national elections together. The coalition government led by PM Sharif is reluctant to hold the votes now, citing an economic crisis and rising militant attacks.
On Thursday, political tensions mounted as Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar reiterated that general elections should be held across the country on the same date, while Pakistan’s parliament adopted a resolution with majority rejecting the Supreme Court order to hold provincial snap polls.
Against this background, Sharif has called a meeting of his top civilian and military leaders that Pakistani media widely said was being held to seek support, particularly from top military leaders, for a delay in provincial polls.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has summoned a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) on Friday in an apparent bid to seek the support of the military leadership for a delay in polls on the pretext of security concerns,” Dawn newspaper, Pakistan’s top English language daily, reported.
A major news channel, ARY, said the “huddle would be briefed on the recent terror wave in Pakistan.”
“The meeting will be briefed on national security by the heads of sensitive institutions,” Samaa reported.
Pakistan’s army, which has ruled the country for almost half its history, retains an outsized role in politics even when it is not in power. The army chief is arguably the most powerful man in the country and successive governments have looked for his support and approval during times of political and economic crisis.
Prime Minister Sharif’s government has been saying the country’s poor economic condition didn’t allow spending on provincial snap polls and then on a general elections due later this year.
Meanwhile, the government and judiciary have been at odds over cases related to political-wrangling, and parliament last week introduced a draft law to clip the chief justice’s powers.
“It is now clear what PDM [ruling coalition] wants — any which way to get out of elections,” Khan said on Twitter on Thursday. “They brought in an unconstitutional bill on SC & an NA resolution against Judiciary. Now tomorrow an NSC mtg called to try & use security as pretext for postponement of elections. This will pit armed forces directly against not just judiciary but also the nation.”
