Food security and climate change, Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Wednesday, are new threats to national security.
During his speech, the premier said that Pakistan needed to discuss the idea of national security, which he described as “more than just matters and affairs related to strengthening the country’s security forces.”
The premier made the remarks at the Islamabad Security Dialogue, where he also unveiled the National Security Division’s (NSD) advice portal, which connects policymakers with over 100 think tanks and university departments.
“We are gradually realizing that national security applies to areas that no one cares about; nowadays, national security encompasses many issues that were overlooked in previous decades, such as climate change, food security, and economic development,” says the author.
The premier, in addressing the topic of climate change, said that it was also a matter of national security. He said that no one had previously paid attention to the problem, despite the fact that it was a “terrifying thing” that had the potential to outweigh all else for future generations.
“Pakistan is one of the countries taking action to fight climate change,” he added, adding that the PTI government’s ’10 Billion Tree Tsunami’ project had gained international attention.
Another problem, according to PM Imran, is food security, which the government will resolve in the coming weeks with a comprehensive program.
The economy, according to the prime minister, plays an important role in national security. “National stability cannot be [envisaged] in a world with a few affluent individuals and a sea of deprived individuals.”
He defined stable countries as those in which every person believes they have a stake in the government, citing China as a model for poverty eradication.
He defined stable countries as those in which every person believes they have a stake in the government, citing China as a model for poverty eradication.
He pointed to the incumbent government’s attempts to eradicate hunger, such as the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Policy and tailored incentives for the needy.
