1.  Visit of the Senate Standing Committee on Defence was held on

27th August, 2015 at 10.00 am at Joint Staff Headquarters, Chaklala under the Chairmanship of Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed.

2. The agenda before the Committee was as under:-

1. Briefing on the role of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee in coordinating policies amongst the three Services pertaining to Defence and National Security.
2. Briefing on SPD on the Pakistan Nuclear Programme and Capabilities.
3. Followed by Questions / Answers session.
4. Any other item with permission of the Chair.                 

3. The following members of the Committee attended the meeting:-

1. Senator Ata ur Rehman
2. Senator Lt. Gen. (R) Abdul Qayyum
3. Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi
4. Senator Farhatullah Babar           
5. Senator Lt. Gen. (R) Salahuddin Tirmizi
6. Senator Brig. (R) John Kenneth Williams
7. Senator Mrs. Sehar Kamran

4. Chairman Committee, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed in his initial remarks thanked Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee for inviting the Senate Defence Committee to JS Headquarters for a detailed briefing on the functioning of Joint Staff Secretariat and in particular the Strategic Plan Division.  He further stated that Pakistan will continue to maintain the minimum credible deterrence for safeguarding its territorial integrity, for ensuring peace and stability in the region.  He assured that the government will provide all necessary resources to Pakistan Armed Forces for accomplishment of the assigned mission.

5. Thereafter, Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee gave a detailed briefing on the organization and capabilities of Joint Staff Headquarters related to defence preparedness against external and internal threats.  The briefing also included a strategic overview of the Nuclear operational environment including spectrum of threat.    

6. The Committee overall expressed its utmost satisfaction with regard to operational preparedness of the Pakistan Armed Forces in response to the imminent threat from the adversaries.  The Committee endorsed the view point that institutions of national security like Defence Committee of the Cabinet and National Security Committee should meet regularly to promote civil-military harmony and to ensure efficient implementation of policies on security and Defence.

7. After the briefing, Chairman Committee thanked General Rashid Mahmood and his team for their candid and comprehensive briefing on all aspects of national security, particularly the missile and nuclear programme of Pakistan. 

Recommendations:-

1. Ministry of Defence may take up case with relevant authorities for expeditious finalization of the draft National Security Policy.  The feedback in this regard be provided during next meeting of the Committee.
    
2. Ministry of Defence may sensitize PM Secretariat for regular organization of the meetings of Defence Committee of the Cabinet and National Security Committee.

8.  The meeting ended with vote of thanks to the chair.