Pakistan will have to redefine its military doctrine:Pak PM Raja Pervez Ashraf

The country and parliament are standing behind the armed forces in "their struggle to secure the future of our children", he said.

In this regard, he mentioned that the military operation against the Taliban in the Swat Valley in 2009 had succeeded because the government had given "political ownership to the war against terrorism".

The premier also made a reference to uncertainty in political circles due to tensions between state institutions like the executive and the judiciary, saying: "For a country to be able to protect its national security, it is incumbent that every institution works within the constitutional ambit. Political stability is critically linked to national security."

National security is multi-faceted and is "neither a pursuit of the military alone nor is its management the exclusive domain of a selected few", he said.

In a world of dynamic changes, there is a need to come to grips with the flux in intra-state and international relations, he added.

The main features of a comprehensive national security paradigm include sustainable socio-economic growth, political stability, rule of law, food security, stable state institutions and technological advancements, Ashraf said.

Terrorism and extremism involves a clash of ideas and battle for hearts and minds and the "hollowness of (the) regressive mindset" of militants has to be exposed by the media, the premier said.

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