ISLAMABAD: PILDAT has found Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC) remained relevant during major security crises but continued to operate in an episodic, reactive manner. The country’s top civil-military forum for strategic decision-making was convened only thrice between March 5, 2025, and March 4, 2026, highlighting persistent gaps in continuous national security oversight.
This outcome is part of PILDAT’s annual review of the NSC during the second year of the PML-N-led coalition government, which concluded on March 5, 2026. The period under review was marked by significant regional and global security developments. In April and May 2025, heightened tensions with India following the Pahalgam attack in IIOJK prompted two emergency NSC meetings. These sessions enabled a coordinated response to Indian threats, including diplomatic, economic and defensive measures, affirming Pakistan’s resolve to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity. A subsequent meeting in June 2025 focused on broader regional developments, including Israeli strikes on Iranian facilities, highlighting the NSC’s capacity to deliberate on complex international security issues.
PILDAT strongly recommended institutional reforms to strengthen the NSC, including mandatory regular meetings (ideally monthly), enhanced capacity of the NSD to provide evidence-based strategic analysis, and clear delineation of the NSC’s role relative to other coordination forums. These reforms are critical to ensure that Pakistan’s national security institution functions effectively, delivering coherent, forward-looking and accountable decision-making amid an increasingly complex regional and global security environment.
PILDAT recommends that the National Security Committee (NSC) be institutionalised as a regular forum for strategic civil-military consultation, with monthly meetings to proactively review domestic and international security developments. It recommended institutional reforms to strengthen the NSC as they are critical to ensure that Pakistan’s national security institution functions effectively, delivering coherent, forward-looking and accountable decision-making amid an increasingly complex regional and global security environment. The report also called for enhancing the capacity of the National Security Division (NSD) to produce regular assessments, policy briefs and coordinate inter-agency action, alongside activating the Advisory Board and forming a Planning Committee to improve governance and accountability.
