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Reacting to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s call for an overhaul of the country’s governance structure, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has advised him to initiate the change by implementing the National Action Plan (NAP) and with his own ministry.
Speaking at the Pakistan Economic Summit on Thursday, Naqvi had said the governance system in the country had “collapsed” and argued that the country needed new administrative units, or provinces, to improve service delivery, accountability and access to justice. He had also said new leadership was needed in the country and argued that the youth wanted justice, merit and jobs rather than stipends and laptops.
A day later, the military’s spokesperson also urged political parties to consider an administrative reset for improving governance, arguing that the country’s security and stability depended on adapting its governance structure to the requirements of modern times and a growing population.
Speaking at a news conference, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said governance had long been identified by the military as a prerequisite for national security. Further recalling the NAP adopted after the 2014 Army Public School attack, he said its 14-point agenda, unanimously endorsed by political parties, had also rested on effective governance.
