Busy safeguarding his chair, Zardari overlooks important security issues - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Issues concerning the country's security and other such important matters are apparently being overlooked by Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, who is busy safeguarding his interests and neutralising attempts to remove him. According to sources, a top military general, who is considered Zardari's close friend, has told the President that some priority security matters are being ignored. The top official has reportedly pointed out that meetings of the National Command and Control Authority (NCCA) and that of the Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) have not been convened for months, despite requests by the military establishment. Presidential spokesperson Farhatullah Babar, however, said he was not aware of any requests made to the president to convene the meeting. The NCCA is headed by the President, while the Prime Minister heads the DCC, The News reports. The last time, the DCC met was in March, when it reviewed the war on terror, Pakistan's investigation into the Mumbai terror attacks. The audacious terror attack on the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore was also discussed during the meeting. Sources revealed that the defence authorities are keen on the meetings, as they want to seek the government's permission to test its new ballistic missile in response to similar tests conducted by India in the recent past. Meanwhile, insiders have also revealed that Zardari had recently assured some key military officials that he would fire some of his close political associates and bureaucratic aides for suspicious connections with foreign intelligence agencies and questionable reputation.