BANGLADESH INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AND STRATEGIC STUDIES

NATIONAL SECURITY OF PAKISTAN

Author: Shireen M. Mazari

DOI Link: https://www.doi.org/BIISSj2002v23n2a2

ABSTRACT

The paper examines the dynamics of Pakistan's national security, focusing on its concerns and objectives. Security concerns have been viewed from both internal and external perspectives. Of the internal dimension of national security concerns, the paper identifies four levels at which the internal dynamics of state-society relations impact directly on Pakistan's security framework -with the first level itself altering the dynamics of the other three. While militarisation of civil society is identified at the first level, the other three includes the lack of democratic political culture and stable political structure, growth of ethnic and sectarian groups, and socio-economic underdevelopment and its impact on Pakistan's external policy options. At the same time, the paper looks into the causal factors leading to these problems. The external dimension focuses on traditional conflict with India on the Kashmir issue and nuclear deterrence as well, but attempts to view them in a broader context, i.e. how US' new containment policy affects South Asia in favour of India, and, thereof, affects Pakistan's security. As for the national security objectives at the internal level, the paper stresses on building sound democratic state structures and a dynamic economy 'for the cause of internal cohesion. At the external level, as far as nuclear factor is concerned, while Pakistan needs to move towards ~tente with India, at the same time it needs to look at co-operative security relationships with Central and West Asia since countries of these regions fall within India's increasing missile reach. Pakistan also needs to forge military cooperation with China to reduce threats coming from the fallout of the US Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) on South Asia. The paper concludes with a set of prescriptions that could be undertaken for nuclear risk reduction in the region.