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Ahead of his forthcoming visit to India, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf constituted the National Security Council (NSC) to aid and advise him on a host of issues, including Islamic ideology and national security.
"The NSC has been constituted with immediate effect. It comprises the chairman of the Joint Chiefs Of Staff Committee, services chiefs, governors of the four provinces and other members, who will be appointed by Musharraf.
"The president will be its chairman and its members shall hold office so long as they enjoy his confidence," a release said in Islamabad on Wednesday night.
"The council shall deliberate upon, discuss and tender advice to Musharraf on matters of his choice and the issues relating to Islamic ideology, national security, sovereignty, integrity and solidarity of Pakistan," it said.
It was not known whether Musharraf planned to make NSC a mandatory policy body in all future governments by bringing in a constitutional amendment.
A policy role for NSC has been opposed by mainstream political parties like the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) which alleged that it was an attempt on the part of Musharraf to institutionalise a policy role for the armed forces even after restoration of democracy at a later date.
The NSC has been constituted less than 10 days ahead of Musharraf's visit to India. The move is seen in official circles in Islamabad as yet another attempt on Musharraf's part to broad base the power structure within the armed forces in order to get their support on all his major policy initiatives like peace moves with India.
Two days ago he invited Deputy Army Chief Lt Gen Muzaffar Husain Usmani to a high level meeting convened to give final touches to the strategy to be adopted during his three day visit to India beginning from July 14.
That was the first time after India extended its invitation to Musharraf on May 23 that Gen Usmani was seen to be associated with the official preparations for the president's visit.
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