By Chaudhry Muhammad Latif

The top most forum of the nation called the National Security Committee (NSC) held a comprehensive meeting for two days to contemplate on pressing challenges confronting the country, were extensively discussed and vital decisions were taken. The civil and military leadership took decisive action against terrorists and their facilitators to wipeout rising terrorism, militancy, and threatening national economic position. It is validly felt from the perusal  of the press release that main focus of the NSC meeting was to crush and curb the explosive threat of terrorism. But the meeting seems to have accorded less importance to the equally dangerous crisis of the economy of the country which is being exploited by the forces opposed to the state as well as to the government.

There is no denying the fact that several nations lost their supremacy due to economic down fall. The National Action Plan has to be reactivated to get hold of terrorists and their facilitators hidden in, generally, holy mazars, lungerkhanas,shelter homes, beggars and newspaper hawkers to mark high value targets.

The coalition government should take bold steps to adopt economic measures including austerity and frugality.  It is surprising that press release of the meeting of the NSC has not laid as much emphasis to the national economic crisis as it deserves. We must seek to the principle and process of earning by saving.

The federal government needs to review the matter of undue and extraordinary concessions and perks allowed by some large organizations, like WAPDA giving free electricity to itemployees, PIA granting annual recreation tour trips within and abroad, Railways issuing free travel passes in their trains, Coastal Guards officials allowed to purchase  confiscated vehicles etc on depreciated prices.

The latest discovery of the potential of ToshaKhana gifts requires immediate legislation to regulate the gifts consigned to ToshaKhana, each of which carries the prestige and honor of the personality who offer the gifts and grace our dignitaries, political or otherwise.

The sacred watch and the only one of its kind in the world should have been placed at a prominent place for the devotees for their sight for spiritual satisfaction and paying gratitude to the honorable donor who had got it prepared. In this matter we can follow the example of our honorable brother country Turkia who have enshrined and preserved the gifts, donations, and jewelry offered by the devotee Muslims for the support the Turkish Caliphate. The valuable sacrifice of South Asian Muslims has become a symbol of Islamic brotherhood and a bond of friendship for Pakistan and Turkia.

It is astonishing to see the wisdom and vision of the people at the helm of affairs that the schemes for the emelioration of energy position placed before the federal cabinet for sixty two billions are only conceptual and not implementable. The proposals in this respect seem to lead to confrontation and noncooperation by the opposite provincial  governments.

The practicable and feasible measures for the federal government in the current political scenario would be advisable in the sectors and sphere where they have direct full administrative control. Instead of managing closing hours of offices and business concerns the apt and appropriate action would be to regulate opening time of offices and business community. The order of one holiday in a week should be repeated. The federal government could freeze recruitments, trim public service, sell or lease loss making enterprises, crush smuggling of commodities and currency, ban tours and transfers.

The federal government should encourage micro level development oriented schemes like building of artificial lakes, check dams, water reservoirs, water tanks, and roads in rural  areas with public participation resulting in jobs for the jobless. The concept of protocol is using major chunks of police force and the public is left at the mercy of bandits and rascals for street crimes. In the open day light male and female travelers are looted in the streets and nowhere police is visible nor available. The number of national flag holders should be reduced to release the police force for their basic duty of law and order. A line should be drawn in security and protocol objectives.

The writer is Retired Additional Chief Secretary and Advocate Supreme Court of AJK.