Pakistan Can’t Survive without Rule of Law, Constitution | Former PM | Pakistan is Luxury Car with Broken Engine | Ideology is Hurdle | Foremer Air Marshal

Actually first NSP was documented in caretakers time by Naeem Lodhi: Tazeen Akhtar

Report : Tazeen Akhtar | Pictures : Raja Ghulam Farid

Where Pakistan is standing while no one is safe in two provinces, state is at war with two neighbors and on third side Iran US war has almost reached near to the border while economy is deteriorating and the people are bewildered on what is the future of this country and no one knows what is our National Security Policy?

These questions were detailed and answered at the book launch event hosted by renowned intellectual, author Ikram Sehgal of Pathfinders Group at a local hotel on 17 July 2026.

The book ” A Personal Chronicle of Pakistan | 2022- 2026 – National Security Strategy ” has been authored by Ikram Sehgal that covers his observations on the subject from in between these eventful years of our national history.

Ikram Sehgal has dedicated the book to the Shareef Family ! No , not that Shareefs but Family of Martyrs Shareefs ! Major Aziz Bhatti Shaheed , Major Shabbeer Shareef Shaheed the two Nishan e Haidar and General R Raheel Shareef , former COAS Pakistan and incumbent Chief of 34 Countries’ International Security Force to Combat Terrorism.

As per the relevance , General R Raheel Shareef was the Chief Guest while former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was also among keynote speakers. Lt Gen R Ali Quli Khan, Lt Gen R Naseem Rana, Lt Gen R Shakeel , Brigadier R Mahmood (94 years old) Minister Board of Investment Qaisar Ahmad Shaikh, former MNA Dr. Nisar Cheema, Senator Sehar Kamran ,High Commissioners of Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Representative of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and some diplomats from other countries were also present.

The most expressive and vocal were former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Air Marshal R Masood Akhtar while General Raheel Shareef remained focused on the book and role of Sehgal Family in promotion of Pakistanism throughout the last six decades.

Shahid Khaqan made it clear that Pakistan can not survive without rule of law. He said, Constitution is the National Security Policy document. All departments are at decline. Civil and Military do not understand each other , neither they try to understand. They are not addressing the crisis of National Security. Do we look forward to some Miracle?

He said, national security requires governance and political system but both are in a bad state that makes them part of the problem rather than the solution. He said, the solution is simple but it has been made difficult. The solution is the responsibility of both the civil and military but we do not want to understand it.

Former Prime Minister added, there should be no differences and everyone should be on one page as far as the constitution is concerned. The Constitution is the solution to NS issues. Real one page is the constitution. But we are not ready to understand it.

He criticized the government and said , see your budget speech and find any reforms if you can. No reforms have been pledged in the speech. The IMF teaches us what to do and what not because we borrow from them to run the country. Shahid Khaqan raised the matter of basic rights of the citizens of Pakistan.

He mentioned 21 clauses of the constitution from 8 to 28 that are directly about rights of the citizen. He questioned , any single clause being implemented? No. There is a deep sense of deprivation in the public. The KP and Balochistan situation is in front of our eyes but we are closing our eyes like a pigeon in front of a cat.

Shahid Khaqan said national security means the security of the people, the safety of the basic rights of the public, development of the country, a growing economy, and institutions working properly.

He said the public is disappointed. The youth are especially worried about the future of the country. They ask us what is the future of Pakistan? What answer should we give them?

He also addressed the statement issued by Maulana Fazlur Rehman regarding the martyrs of the military. He said, “I could not understand what he wanted to state. We have written to him to explain what he actually means.”

Shahid Khaqan said the statement is unacceptable. “The military is not about salaries, but it is about commitment and resolve for the defense of the homeland,” he emphasized.

Air Marshal R Masood Akhtar said the first policy document on National Security (NS) was prepared during the government of Imran Khan when Dr Moeed Yousuf was the Advisor on NS. He said that he was working with Dr Moeed at that time.

( Here it is important to clear that before Imran formed the government, during the interim period , this scribe interviewed Lt Gen R Naeem Khalid Laudhi who was the then Minister of Defense, Defense Production and Aviation. I interviewed him at his residence and he shared that he has drafted the National Security Policy in which Economy has been emphasized as the prerequisite for national security.)

Shahid Khaqan said that he has not seen any policy draft on national security. He said this in context that he spent some time as PM when Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court in the Panama case. Shahid would chair the national security committee as well about which he shared that it was a very difficult state at the committee.

AM R Masood Akhtar was critical of both mindsets that prevail or rule in the country. He said , one mindset (Religious Pol Parties with recent statement of Maulana Fazl ur Rehman) says ” Military martyrs take salaries for their fighting war, while second mindset (10 Billion Rs Aircraft of CM Punjab) says ” Yes – we bought the plane, now do what you can.”

He was critical about ” Pakistan is an Ideological State.” He said, the state can not uphold rule of law if it is bound to some idea like we have.

He gave the example of Naseem Hijazi and said the minds grown up after reading his novels can not be tackled with rules and regulations. Naseem Hijazi would write more often that one Muslim is heavier than 10 Hindus. (Naseem Hijazi (late)is a famous novelist having many novels on his credit that promote Islamism and Jihadism and presented Muslims as conquerors of the world.

In the same context, AM R Masood Akhtar questioned , can you arrest Maulana Fazl ur Rehman on his statement? No. He said an Ideological state can neither be democratic nor have good governance. He mentioned Jamat e Islami as well along with Maulana Fazl ur Rehman.

He said, while drafting the NS policy , we pointed out 2 dozen groups with religious, linguistic, regional background as the challenge to NS. We were seeing how to cope with two rebellions (KP and Balochistan).

He pointed towards the former secretary of the national security division present in the event and said, he directed us not to touch the ideology of the state when we were preparing the NS policy document.

Masood Akhtar said, we are in the same state in KP and Balochistan as we were in East Pakistan. On the other hand, we are still a poor country not showing good performance. So who will form the NS security police? Certainly it is the responsibility of the government that has the NS Division.

Concluding his remarks, Masood Akhtar quoted Dr Moeed Yousuf as saying ” Pakistan is a luxury car with a broken engine.”

General R Raheel Shareef cherished the memories of life time relations with the Sehgal family and spoke highly about the patriotism of Ikram Sehgal. He appreciated the work Ikram Sehgal is doing in various fields including his in depth analysis on security and strategic affairs of Pakistan, his role in promoting Pakistani economy and narrative at World Economic Forum and his contributions in the welfare sector.

Ikram Sehgal shared his experiences of war between India and Pakistan in 1971 when he fought as a young captain in the Pakistan Army. He was captured by the Indian Army and remained under detention for 27 days. He ran away from the prison becoming the first ever soldier who broke Indian prison.

Dr Huma Baqai conducted the ceremony and shared the contributions of Ikram Sehgal in the development and construction of Pakistan. It was a well attended event in which a large number of people associated with Pathfinders Group of Ikram Sehgal were present.