Pakistan's national security perspective

Pakistan's national security perspective

 The country's recent floods have revealed its preparedness for such a large-scale natural disaster. Flooding has claimed the lives of nearly 2000 people since June of this year. Even after a national emergency was declared, relief efforts were insufficient to restore normalcy to the affected individuals' lives. The worst climate change scenario a nation will face in the future is evident by the unprecedented monsoon rains and melting glaciers.

Pakistan is ranked 144th on the Human Security Index. Floods may raise Pakistan's poverty rate by 3.7% to 4%, according to a World Bank report. The human security situation in Pakistan is depicted in these figures in a pessimistic light.

Human security, contrary to widespread misconception, enhances state security rather than replaces it. By ensuring the individual's safety, human security adds to state security. The primary responsibility of the state craft remains providing security for the state subjects in addition to ensuring the survival of the state. The state's capacity for coercion is emphasized in the traditional definition of security. The internal determinants of security, such as ethnic or religious polarization, economic and social grievances, political instability, environmental degradation, and a low human development index, were not taken into account in this definition of security.

With the development of modern security frameworks and the evolution of human civilization, various strategists emphasized the significance and relevance of comprehensive security with modern security frameworks. Stringent action is required against motorists who break the law. As a result, security policymakers appear to be aware of the urgency of incorporating nontraditional security threats into pertinent doctrines. The security agenda has been updated for the same reason, and Pakistan's national security policy for 2021-2023 includes a citizen-centered "Comprehensive National Security" framework.

The realization that human security affects the social contract between a state and its people is evidenced by this refreshing shift. Resentment toward the state is sparked by human insecurity; as a result, hybrid warfare may make them easy prey. It causes chaos, which makes it easy for other nations to use as weapons.

Pakistan has always struggled to strike a balance between the safety of its citizens and its own security. Until now, civilian and military leaders have not been able to agree on a national security policy that can deal with threats from within and outside the country. The potential benefits of human and economic development have always been underestimated by policymakers when developing security strategies. Human, economic, and development have been relegated to a lower priority than state security as a result of this disregard.

Pakistan reports 28 cases of the coronavirus but does not report a death within a day. The statistical evidence indicates that economic instability would make Pakistan unsafe. The fact that it will be extremely difficult for a state to create economic security—an important determinant of national security—when a country's population grows by more than 2% while the economy grows by 3.0% to 3.57 percent supports this argument. Situations like these have the potential to lead to social polarization and a common man's perception of deprivation, which ultimately has a negative impact on national security.

Pakistan's governments are forced to request financial assistance from the IMF due to national disasters, an economic deficit, poor governance, and poor financial management. Additionally, the financial institution's bailout packages pose serious threats to our political and economic sovereignty. A nation that is dependent on loans or aid typically has a weak or sporadic foreign policy. As a result, it employs the security strategy from a weak position.

In some parts of Punjab, dense fog impedes road traffic. The days of conventional war fighting are long gone. Economic sabotage is an essential component of hybrid war, which includes both conventional and irregular warfare. Modern technology, financial markets, and gaining military superiority are now equally important. Human and economic growth ought to be given top priority and should be viewed as an essential component of national security. A strong economy can ensure national security, whereas a weak and bankrupt economy is harmful to military superiority and a threat to security strategy. This argument is supported by the example of the Soviet Union, which was a powerful military powerhouse during the cold war but fell apart due to economic collapse. The same could be said for Pakistan: the nation will face enormous challenges in attempting to maintain its status as a secure state unless the economy is strengthened.