The National Security Committee (NSC) summoned by Prime the Minister Shehbaz Sharif (today) in an apparent effort to enlist the support of the military leadership for a delay in elections under the guise of security concerns as the impasse with the opposition and the top court over the matter of elections in May continues.
Although the group that serves as the “principal decision-making body on national security matters” did not convene, there was no formal mention about it.
General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), General Asim Munir, Chiefs of the Air Force and Navy, and Federal Ministers for Defense, Finance, and Information will all be present.
According to a media report, the military authorities will brief the administration in detail about how terrorist groups had reassembled in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, making it difficult for electioneering to take place.
A different report said, given the current situation, the possibility of “imposing an emergency” on the nation might also be considered during the meeting. Under Article 232 of the Constitution, which deals with the declaration of an emergency due to war and internal unrest, the emergency can be proclaimed for up to a year. To declare the emergency, though, a parliamentary decision is required.
