- PM Shehbaz lauds ISI’s critical role in safeguarding national interests and enabling informed national security decision-making
- Premier visits ISI HQ, briefed on country’s preparations for India ‘threat’
- COAS Gen Munir, ISI Chief and services chiefs also attend briefing
- PM also visits newly-established NIFTAC, formally inaugurated its state-of-the-art headquarters
- Describes NIFTAC as a quintessential national platform for collaborative threat assessment and response
ISLAMABAD: Commending the Inter-Services Intelligence’s professionalism and strategic acumen, the Prime Minister on Tuesday lauded its critical role in safeguarding national interests and enabling informed national security decision-making under complex and dynamic conditions.
“The entire nation is behind their brave Armed Forces”, the premier stated, saying Pakistan Army is one of the most professional and disciplined force in the world, the state media said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif made the remarks during his visit to the headquarters of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) on Tuesday, where he was briefed on the country’s preparation for a “conventional threat” amid the ongoing tensions with India, the state broadcasters – Radio Pakistan and PTV News reported on Tuesday.
The high-level visit comes amid simmering tensions with India in the wake of a deadly attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam. India quickly accused Pakistan of cross-border attack, without any investigation or evidence, and announced a number of escalating moves. Pakistan has firmly rejected the claim and called for a neutral probe.
“The visit entailed a detailed briefing on the prevailing security environment, with a particular focus on preparedness for a conventional threat in the light of India’s increasingly aggressive and provocative posture along Pakistan’s eastern border,” a statement from the PM Office (PMO) said.
“The leadership was apprised of regional security developments and the evolving threat matrix, including conventional military options, hybrid warfare tactics and terrorist proxies,” it added.
The premier was accompanied by Deputy PM Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and the services chiefs, the PMO said.
The services chiefs — Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf and Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar — were part of the visiting team, according to a group photo released on the occasion.
PM Shehbaz and the accompanying dignitaries “underscored the imperative of heightened national vigilance, seamless inter-agency coordination, and reinforced operational readiness to deter and decisively respond to any violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”, the PMO said.
“The leadership reaffirmed Pakistan’s unambiguous resolve to defend the homeland against all threats — conventional or otherwise,” the statement read.
The leaders reiterated that with the nation’s full support, the armed forces, supported by all other elements of national power and state institutions, remained “fully prepared to uphold Pakistan’s security, prestige, and honour under all circumstances”.
Premier formally inaugurates state-of-the-art headquarters of NIFTAC
Meanwhile, Premier Shehbaz also visited the newly-established National Intelligence Fusion and Threat Assessment Centre (NIFTAC) and formally inaugurated its state-of-the-art headquarters, “which will serve as the central node for coordinating Pakistan’s national counterterrorism strategy”, the PMO said.
“NIFTAC, a federal institution, integrates over 50 relevant federal and provincial departments and agencies into a unified intelligence and threat management architecture supported by a centralised national database.”
The statement added that at the subnational level, NIFTAC is linked to six Provincial Intelligence Fusion and Threat Assessment Centres (PIFTACs), including those in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, ensuring seamless coordination from the federation to the provinces.
Commending the efforts of all stakeholders involved in operationalising this vital capability, the prime minister described NIFTAC as a quintessential national platform for collaborative threat assessment and response. He underscored that “dismantling the nexus between terrorism, illicit networks, and external sponsorship requires robust and efficient institutional mechanisms.”
PM Shehbaz said NIFTAC would play a pivotal role in uprooting terrorism and its support structures from the country.
