Pakistan’s emerging security architecture
GENIE of terrorism is again trying to come out of the bottle due to which terrorist activities are on the rise in the country.
At least three people were killed and five others were injured after a suspected suicide bomber blew himself up in North Waziristan’s Miranshah town.
The bilateral ties between interim government of Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan have become tense after disengagement of dialogue with TTP.
Most recently, at least one person was killed and 16 others, including women and children, were injured when the Afghan Taliban fired mortar shells inside Pakistani territory at the Pak-Afghan Chaman border.
The Afghan Taliban fired mortar shells at Killi Sheikh Alam and Changaiz check posts areas inside the Pakistani territory.
The mortar shells exploded with a big bang causing panic in the area. Security sources said indiscriminate and intermittent firing continued from the Taliban side of the border.
The response from the Pakistani side has been measured and care has been taken to avoid civilian casualties on the Afghan side.
In a surprising move, the Chinese foreign ministry issued new travel advisory for his citizen and strictly advised them to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible which has further highlighted the looming threat of terrorism in this country due to which all neighboring countries are disturbed.
Moreover, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar while holding a press conference once again shared that “no country had used terrorism better than India.
She called on the international community to take note of New Delhi’s attempts to destabilise Pakistan.
Her media briefing came a day after Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said India was behind last year’s bomb blast near Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed’s Johar Town residence in Lahore, which claimed four lives.
She highlighted and termed India as a “rogue state” which has had been denying the existence of UNSC resolutions.
India has been secretly launched hybrid war against Pakistan, its people, economy, society and vested interests for so many years.
On his part, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar blamed Pakistan to host Osama Bin Laden.
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, while giving a befitting reply to Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar statement regarding Osama Bin Laden, said that “Osama Bin Laden is dead but the Butcher of Gujarat is alive and the prime minister of India.
This is the prime minister and foreign minister of RSS which derives inspiration from Hitler. ” He said the RSS did not believe in the ideology of Gandhi but instead treated his killer as a hero.
Bilawal Bhutto apprised the media of a dossier issued by Pakistan containing the pieces of evidence of Indian involvement in a terror attack in Johar Town area of Lahore in 2021.
It seems that emerging socio-economic, geopolitical and geostrategic hazards have created new “Security Paradigm” in the country which urgently needs thorough consultations, cooperation and coordination among all the stakeholders and political parties in the country.
In this regard, it fears that lust for unbridled power, political dominance, obsession of holiness and last but not the least, social media jugglery and character assassination campaigns will further expose country’s fragility, economic instability, social disharmony and political disunity.
Systematic propaganda about probability of default by opposition party (PTI) is not a service to the cause of Pakistan.
Actually they are playing with fires and, of course, in the hands of enemies of Pakistan for their own benefits.
Thus common people, businessmen and investors are at the receiving end because of unending political struggle in the country.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif highlighted the importance of unity and political maturity but naked dance of self-egoistic politics goes on and on which is not good omen for the country and its people.
The concepts and connotations of national security have been drastically changed in the country.
No care for national security, sovereignty and system has become political mantra of the opposition.
The worship of self is on the rise and resultantly wonders of corruption are coming out like zombies in the jungle.
The prospects of socio-economic prosperity have been sandwiched in this political grand game of self-survival.
Unstoppable upward inflationary trends have burnt the skins and souls of common people of the country and political bosses are still behaving like absolute strangers, adding salt to worries of the common people.
According to latest published report of Asian Development Bank, Pakistan has become the 2nd most expensive country in the region due to which basic necessities of life have gone out of the reach of common people.
Price hike has reached 26.5pc in the country due to which “Economic Security” is going to be compromised.
Exports, remittances and productivity centers are on the decline and sale of SUVs are on the rise, showing drastic difference between our national priorities.
Unfortunately, most of the textile units have been forced to close their operations because of bad decision making of pervious government.
Many oil refineries have been closed showing some sever economic and industrial meltdown in the country.
Surprisingly national politics and political ambitions of opposition party still make castles in the air.
Water is on the depletion. Gas reservoirs are on the disappearing mode. Climate change has become a looming threat for our survival, productivity, connectivity and common prosperity.
Shortage of dams and increasing food & energy insecurity are haunting our national policies and raising genuine concerns about our policy maker’s decisions.
Denial of social and administrative justice has already produced serious cracks in the system and society has been further divided.
Blinding behaviours have sailed the common people into blind alley which is very disappointing.
Moreover, selective criteria for awards, rewards, placements, promotions and prosperities have produced havocs in the country due to which administrative law and professional wisdom has been diminished and vanished.
Moreover, mere preference of fraternity over genuine functionality has become real curse for malpractices in the machinery and ultimately common people the so-called real owners of democracy are losing hopes for a qualitative life for their kiths and kins.
Brain-drain has become bitter reality and almost 7500,000 people left from the country in search of new safe havens.
To conclude, there is an urgent need to revise and revisit the concept of national security in the country.
A holistic national security comprising of strong economy, vibrant society, dynamic media, progressive politics and defence and comprehensive policies for caring nature and its treasures would be a way forward.
Corruption has holy alliance and political arrogance has fuelled it further. Menace of terrorism has once again resurrected. Political disunity has become cancerous.
Social division has become adversary. It seems that country is inching towards a financial emergency due to politics of power by the opposition.
Means of production is on the decline and ways of self-projection is spreading like a fire in the jungle.
In the battle of political dominance the path of development somehow has been dusted and destroyed unfortunately.
Please try to rise above self-notions of purity, merit, justice, prosperity and protection and think about betterment of common people because national security is now at stake.
—The writer is Executive Director: The Centre for South Asia & International Studies (CSAIS), Islamabad, Regional Expert: UAE, GCC, Senior Analyst: Defence & World Affairs, Pakistan Observer.
