National Security Strategy & Policy of Pakistan-my views By Shahid Nawaz

National Security Strategy & Policy of Pakistan – Basic Concepts
1. In order to understand the concept of National Security Strategy & Policy (NSSP), it is pertinent to understand certain fundamentals. They are:
a. Concept of nation-state in its universal application and more so its relevancy to Pakistan
b. National Purpose (NP), a statement of resolve and determination for which a Nation – State aspires to exist.
c. Determination of National Interests (NI) for which and Nation-State vows to live for
d. A general view of Elements of National Power (ENP), the factors which provide requisite force to determination of NIs.
e. Based on the above, formulation of NSSP is done by the government and disseminated to all concerned for further action. The latter is in the form of document essentially outlining major national security concerns and the government’s plans to deal with them.
2. National Security is the requirement to maintain the Survival of the State through the use of Economic, Diplomatic, Power Projection and Political Power. Another definition of National Security is, “Freedom from foreign dictation.” Yet another definition is, “National Security is an appropriate and aggressive blend of political resilience, economic structure, and capacity, technological competence, industrial base, and availability of natural resources, and finally the military might”.
3. It would be interesting to know that only a handful of countries (USA,UK, Australia, India, France etc) have undertaken a formal effort of formulating NSSP and then disseminating to general public in addition to their Legislators. The leading country in this regard is USA which puts up NSSP almost every two years. Pakistan has also started formulating NSSP since 9/11 but it being classified ‘Top Secret’ has authorized revelation only. It is essentially kept away from the public eyes. The US documents describes the National Interests very succinctly and are deliberated within the Congress as well as by the Intelligentsia. The latter includes Defence Institutions, Think Tanks, and Universities. A comprehensive document is released by the US State Department displaying resolve and commitment of the US Administration ensuring their maintenance or achievement. The strategy includes use of elements of national power of USA by the designated forces in all spheres of life be they diplomatic, economic or military singly or combined. For example, The US President on 26 May 2010 through US National Security Policy and Strategy Document replaced Islamic radicalism with terrorism and enunciated following strategic interests / objectives:
• Increased engagements with Russia, China, and India
• Nuclear Non-Proliferation & Climate Change
• Reviving Economy
4. The Elements of NS / Power of a country are her Military, Economy, Resources including natural resources, Borders/ Coastlines, Demography, Disaster Management, Energy Resources, Geostrategic Position, Information Technology, Food Security, Health, Education, Ethnic Homogeneity, Environment, and Cyber Security. How well a country uses its resources depends upon its Leadership and the enabling environment.
CONCEPT OF NATION-STATE
5. While the terms country, state, and nation are often used interchangeably, there is a difference. A State (note the capital "S") is a self-governing political entity. The term State can be used interchangeably with country. A nation, however, is a tightly-knit group of people which share a common culture. A nation-state is a nation which has the same borders as a State. An independent State (196 independent countries or States around the world):
• Has space or territory which has internationally recognized boundaries (boundary disputes are OK).
• Has people who live there on an ongoing basis.
• Has economic activity and an organized economy. A country regulates foreign and domestic trade and issues currency.
• Has the power of social engineering, such as education.
• Has a transportation system for moving goods and people.
• Has a government which provides public services and police power.
• Has sovereignty. No other State should have power over the country's territory.
• Has external recognition.
6. Nations are culturally homogeneous groups of people, larger than a single tribe or community, which shares a common language, Institutions, religion, and historical experience. When nations of people have a State or country of their own, it is called a nation-state. Places like France, Egypt, Germany, Pakistan, India and Japan are excellent examples of nation-states. There are some States which have two nations, such as Canada and Belgium. Even with its multicultural society, the United States is also referred to as a nation-state because of the shared American "culture." There are nations without States. For example, the Kurds are stateless people and so are the Palestinians, Kashmiris and some others.
7. Nation-states are created to ensure security for their people. Looking at the most secure countries of the world, we find one principle common among all of them --- a strong sense of Common Identity and Purpose. These are the first building blocks of a developing nation that gives a direction to its people. The second principle we can identify from empirical evidence, is that such an identity is based on universally acclaimed values. Fortunately for us, these values were identified over fourteen hundred years ago by Islam. The holy Quran, the Prophet (PBUH) and various documents like the Meesaq-e-Madinah and the Last Sermon, all stood for the equality, liberty and fraternity long before Rousseau and Voltaire debated them prior to the French Revolution. Alas we may not have philosophized their importance, and debated or affirmed them into belief. Hence the morass we Muslims find ourselves in.
NATIONAL PURPOSE (NP)
8. National Purpose, or the raison-d’être, as the French call it is sacrosanct and sublime. National Purpose is defined as “shared values and beliefs” that we wish to be. The English defined some values in their first ever constitutional document (Magna Carta) in the 12th century. They subsequently took almost over six centuries to create the mother of all parliaments and democracies and thus achieve security for themselves. Today their de facto common identity is equality, liberty and fraternity.
9. The U.S Common Purpose is based on three values Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness. The former was established through the Declaration of Independence. The President Abraham Lincoln made a profound statement when he said that, “While these may not have ensured total liberty for the blacks overnight, these were available in the preamble to the constitution to be implemented by men of belief, wisdom and courage in the coming times”. And thus, liberty and equality couldn’t be completely ensured to the black Americans till as late as early 1960s when the Kennedy brothers announced complete desegregation.
10. Likewise the French common identity based on Equality, Liberty and Fraternity (written in the first verse in the French constitution) was coined by the likes of Rousseau, well before the French Revolution. The same were gradually affirmed into belief over time during the late 18th and 19th century. These are today ingrained so firmly into the French psyche that no legislation can be made or interpreted against the spirit of the same.
11. In case of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam provided the guidance and defined the parameters of our National Purpose on many occasions. He stated during the session of First Constituent Assembly of Pakistan in August 1947, “You may belong to any religion or cast or creed – that has nothing to do with the fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of one state ……………….. Now keep this as your ideal and you will find that in course of time, Hindus would cease to be Hindus, and Muslims would cease to be Muslims, not in the religious sense, because, that is the personal faith of each individual, but in the political sense, of the citizens of the state of Pakistan.
12. However, after a long struggle and debate, we did develop a Common Purpose but out of the Objectives Revolution. Its Article-5 states, “Democracy, freedom, equality, tolerance and social justice as enunciated by Islam should be fully observed”. The phrase was good but probably not good enough to stay with us for long time. These time-tested values were affirmed by the Holy Quran in Surae Al-Imran which says (reiterated by Dr. Alama Iqbal in his Allahabad Address) “O’ Prophet (PBUH) tell the people of the book; let us get together on what is common amongst us (one Allah)”. The Prophet (PBUH) reaffirmed the same principles of Equality, Liberty and Fraternity in the Meesaq-e-Madinah and in his Last Sermon. The same values were affirmed by the Quaide Azam in his landmark speech on 11th August 1948, when he advised its members regarding formulation of the constitution for the nascent state. American children of around ten years age can be seen discussing the Declaration of Independence (preamble to the US constitution), but our people are not even familiar with our documents. If a nation has no common vision of where it is going it is not going anywhere, especially in a globalised world.
National Interests (NI)
13. NIs’ are a country’s goals and ambitions whether, Economic, Military, or Cultural. The notion is an important one in International Relations where pursuit of NIs is the foundation of the Realist school. The NSSP is built around the NIs. As a general rule, NIs have been categorized as under:
VITAL ------ The most important part of this category is the Survival of the nation that may be dependent upon a series of events and hosts of issues a nation is confronted with. As a matter of fact, the nation is prepared to undertake extreme measures including going to war to realize its aims and objectives / national interest categorized as Vital.
Important ------- This category includes those Interests (Aims / Objectives) for which the nation would place all its resources (Elements of National Security) into action excepting resorting to military action.
Peripheral ------- This is the lowest category which includes those interests a nation can survive even if they are not realized in a foreseeable time frame.
14. The Interests can be and have been categorized under various headings. The most common categorizations are as under:

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Table: Classification of National Interests

15. Now let us list some of the important Issues / National Interest the country, Pakistan is currently engaged with:
• Ideology of Pakistan ( Are we an Islamic state or Secular)
• Continuation of Democratic System
• Role of Pakistan Army in the national life
• How to become Islamic Welfare State
• Zakat system vis-à-vis Interest based economy
• Role of Parliament
• Empowerment of People – Local Bodies / Government
• Size of government ---- Federal as well as provincial
• Good governance --- what is it and how?
• War on Terror – Role of Pakistan
• Security of people of Pakistan -----
• Overcoming shortage of Energy
• Economy---- Inflation, Price Control, Wages, Import/Export regimes
• Terrorism in all its manifestations including defining role of Non-state actors usually getting support of Pakistan or having sanctuaries in Pakistan
• Resolution of Issue of Kashmir
• Trade with India over land routes
• Relations with only Super Power, USA
• How to ensure cessation of Drone Attacks
• How to evict American Contractors from Pakistan
• How to ensure Cyber and Informational Security
• Relations with neighbors including India, Iran, Afghanistan, and China
• Relations with Russia, EU, NATO and others
• Relations with Muslim States led by Saudi Arabia
• Are we part of global world (ASEAN, SAARC, and so forth)
• Getting rid of religious extremism
• Education System of Pakistan ---- Literacy level
• Health Sector Reforms
• Role of Media (print as well as Electronic)
• Strengthening of Tax culture including Tax on Agriculture Sector
• Situation in Balochistan, FATA and Northern Areas
• Introducing culture of accountability across the board
16. The above is not an exhaustive list. This is just a reflection of the issues being confronted by the nation of Pakistan. A fertile mind would add another 100 critical issues that are holding back Pakistan from progress, peace and creation of suitable environment wherein average Pakistani would feel free to move around within his own country and would be able to invite foreigners to trade with him in Pakistan. It is for the Leadership (the government --- duly supported by the Bureaucracy, The Military and the Think Tanks) to sift the issues and then list them as per the Table above. A serious discussion is needed to get the categorization or classification correct. Unfortunately, there has never been discussion in our media, and at our institutions of higher learning. The policies have usually been made in vacuum, with a myopic view and ostensibly to lengthen the tenure of government. The Military has always been kept extremely happy to ensure internal security. The Pakistani military has usually been dubbed as guardian of sovereignty and internal harmony. This viewpoint is not only fallacious but hollow as well. The cases in example are current situation in Balochistan, military actions in Swat, FATA and PATA. Sad to say, that we the Pakistanis, the peoples and the governments have been avoiding open debate on the vital issue of determining National Interest. The Talk Shows are a recent phenomenon but very rarely security issues are discussed with the solemnity it deserves.
17. The successive governments over a period of time have shut possibilities and probabilities of developing political leadership and statesmen. In any country, there are essentially two avenues that give birth to leaders. One is the Universities and the other is Local Government. The former produces Intellectuals / Leaders and the latter gives rise to the peoples’ leaders. The third avenue can be Trade Unions to some extant. The present day leadership is slave to Family Power Politics. The politics in Pakistan is a Business. I asked one of my students applying for leave for marriage as to who is his spouse. “He is in politics”, was the smart reply.
18. There is an urgent need to understand the concept of National Security and National Interests. We got to have an open debate. We have to critically analyze this concept at various forums like Universities, and Think Tanks etc. The NIs have invariably been invoked for “Enemies with rather than in terms of other countries. Pakistani military / Government / Intelligentsia / Society in General have emphasized National Security instead of National Interests in dealing with the rest of the world. Pakistan Army has strengthened its control over Foreign Policy with key countries. As a result of this melee, it is the people of Pakistan who continue to suffer and shall continue to pay the price in terms of instability, poor economy, rampant illiteracy and religious intolerance. At one time NI was defined by religion or morality that dictated it. By the late 19th / beginning of 20th century ---------- NI began to be defined on the basis of Economic Interests ------------- From colonialism to Trade. Let me end this discourse by quoting Hans Morgenthau:
• The statesmen must think in terms of National Interests, conceived as power among other powers
• Foreign policy was NOT always the sole determinant of National Interests
19. May I request my audience to watch BBC’s latest Newsnight program Andrew listen carefully to what German Chancellor Merkel had to say about Europe and Eurozone crisis. The more inquisitive minds may refer to NONALIGNMENT 2.0 a 70 page document issued by Indian Think tank.
Thank you

Posted on Apr 09, 12 | 6:12 am