“Pakistan is passing through the most serious phase of its existence” is the phrase, expression or rhetoric by any new political or dictatorial regime since its inception. Certainly, existence of any person, nation or state is the most important aspect.
In political science and international relations questions regarding “existence or survival” are dealt as national security issues or threats. National Security of the states is the most important problem today. States are facing different threats and challenges to their national security. It is threat perception which determines response level irrespective of actual gravity of threat.
Apparently, Pakistan’s national economy is in shambles due to bad and crumbled administration of the state affairs by the people who are at helm of affairs. Now there is a strange level of frustration amongst people of who are growing old as they are witnessing since decades the chronic economic problems of country. Country is becoming economically weak or poor but the people at the helm of affairs are becoming economically strong and rich. People of Pakistan who are actual victim of bad or failed policies of the state are now fearful about future of country as a state as independent analysis by internationally reputed economists or international financial institutions like IMF and World Bank are not good news for them.
The one sentence the people of Pakistan are weary of is “Pakistan is in serious trouble”. Even I am hearing this emphatic sentence since last fifty years of my age of discretion or since 1970s. After rich professional, administrative and expert learning and experience, my conscience compelled me to thoroughly examine different problems faced by Pakistan which in fact, national security threats to Pakistan. In the presence of such threats, Pakistan will never be an economically viable state although a declared nuclear state. National security is a complicated issue which cannot be answered in a simple sentence or national security problems cannot be resolved by a simple solution due to multifaceted dimensions. Therefore, it may be a lengthy debate to encompass all essential aspects.
There are threats or challenges to national security of the states. Threats may be internal or external. Psychologically, every threat is posing a challenge to be faced by national leaderships which is at helm of affairs constitutionally or otherwise. It is noteworthy that fears, challenges or threats may be equated or may be understood in the same sense with minor variations in their meanings and contexts. It means that every challenge is a threat or a fear or every threat or fear is a challenge.
The national security challenges being faced by Pakistan are multiple and every challenge is serious. Some challenges are independent and some challenges are dependent. Dependent challenges are those if any other independent challenge is addressed then such challenges are indirectly and automatically addressed. However, independent challenges need independent solutions. As far as gravity of threats is concerned, internal threats are more serious than external threats as an internally strong state is scarcely challenged or attacked by external enemies. In other words, national security is dependent on internal security. Due to this reason, external enemies of states plant their agents or non-state actors to disturb internal peace and stability of any target state.
There is no doubt that any state is like a human biological system. If there will be one ailment, it will automatically effect other bodily systems. You cannot say that ailing brain will not affect other body functions and parts. Similarly, national security is a complicated problem having many dimensions which are in simple words challenges to national security of a state.
If such challenges are not properly addressed timely the consequential outcomes or disorders may ruin the entire state system. For example, corruption may be ignored as a normal phenomenon. However, implications of corruption may ruin the entire administrative system of the state. Therefore, corruption even at minor level cannot be tolerated. Dishonesty, favouritism, nepotism, malpractices, violation of merit and competitiveness, etc., are although looking minor ailments but their impact is destructive to entire state system. An individual act or malady may effect to only an individual but when such malady or problem is having adverse implications for other citizens of the state then such acts cannot be tolerated. Ultimately, when a minor issue is threatening to very existence or system of the state then it becomes a threat to national security of the state.
States are facing multiple problems. Although every problem faced by the state may not be directly threat to national security of the state, however, indirect implications of every such problem are towards national security of state. Pakistan as a state, since its inception, is facing multiple national security threats. However, now national security threats have become serious to be addressed otherwise Pakistan will be rated as a failed state. Global world has its own advantages and disadvantages. However, impression of a failed state is very bad which may damage international face of the state. Major internal threats to national security being faced by Pakistan are corruption and bad governance; absence of rule of law, injustice and failure of justice system; politicising of public services i.e. civil services and judicial services and public organizations; presence of mafias, gangs and subversive forces above the law; failure of policing system giving birth to terrorism; poverty; violent extremism and non-tolerance; terrorism; external interferences; brain drain; anti-State activities; activities of non-State actors; target killing; flash floods and challenges of climate change; energy crisis; cyber security or information security threats; and transnational crimes. These are major aspects which even have more dimensions.
To ensure national security of Pakistan there is need to properly understand these threats and come up with suitable solutions failing which existence of Pakistan as a state will be at stake. International stakeholders are already in search of opportunities to repeat debacle of 1971 and at least Indian intentions are above board.
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The writer Dr G.M Chaudhry is also CEO and Senior Research Fellow at Centre for Research in Political Sciences and International Law Islamabad – can be reached at drgmchaudhryg@gmail.com – WhatsApp 03335152901
