In today’s write up I will talk about a very important topic which is in the discussion in Pakistan. The topic is the National Security Policy Pakistan. The Government of Pakistan recently has announced a policy which is named the National Security Policy.
The security committee of Pakistan approved the first-ever national security of Pakistan on 27 December 2021. This national Security Policy is the first-ever policy related to National Security in Pakistan. Prior to this, there were different security policies but they were all in fragmented forms. There was a separate policy for external security.
Similarly, for internal law and order, there was a separate policy. Thus, there was not a single coordinated and holistic policy that covers all the important aspects related to the security of Pakistan. So, this was the first-ever comprehensive document and policy about national security and was unveiled in 2021.
The Pakistani policymakers took almost seven years to deduce this policy. The process started in 2014 in the aftermath of the Peshawar APS school attack, and passed through different stages. However, in the tenure of the current National Security Advisor of Pakistan, Dr. Moeed Yousuf, this process was expedited. Thus, ultimately the draft of the policy was presented before the national security committee and got approved.
Key Features of the National Security Policy Pakistan
Some of the key features of the national security policy of Pakistan, based on the available public data, are discussed below.
Citizen Centric Security Policy
The most fundamental goal that has been emphasized in the national security policy of Pakistan is the security and the protection of all the citizens of Pakistan.
The First-ever Holistic Security Policy
This is the first-ever security policy in Pakistan that is comprehensive and holistic. This policy not only covers the internal dimensions, but also the external, economic, and territorial security dimensions. Prior to this policy, there were separate and fragmented policies on each of these security dimensions.
Source: Aljazeera
National Security Policy Pakistan Identified the Key Security Components
Overall, seven key security dimensions were identified in this policy. These seven key security components are:
1. National Cohesion:
This policy argues that national cohesion is the top priority. By national cohesion, it meant harmony, goodwill, and territorial integrity of Pakistan.
2. Internal Security:
The internal security of Pakistan is the second important component. By this, it meant maintaining law and order, curbing terrorism and extremism, and countering insurgency in Pakistan.
3. Economic Security:
Major emphasis was put on the economic security of Pakistan. This component was also given importance in the speeches of Prime Minister Imran Khan and the National security advisor Dr. Moeed Yousuf. Economic security is key to the overall national security of Pakistan. Without having economic security, the dream of achieving national security will be near to impossible.
4. Good Governance:
By governance, the security policy meant improving the service delivery of the governmental departments and especially with respect to the national law enforcement agencies as well as economic policymaking. Thus, good governance is also the key to ensuring the national security of Pakistan.
5. Human Security:
The concept of human security highlighted in this policy is relatively new. The prime focus is the security of individuals. All aspects of security are linked to providing security to individuals, groups, and communities.
6. The Foreign Policy:
Another important security dimension that was added to this national security document is foreign policy. When we say foreign policy, obviously it means Pakistan’s security interest vis-à-vis other states, especially when Pakistan makes alliances, treaties, and agreements with fellow states. Moreover, how such decisions will going to affect Pakistan’s national security.
7. Territorial Security:
It is the most important security aspect. To protect Pakistan’s territorial integrity and to nullify the threats posed to it. It can also be seen in the context of the military security.
By combining these seven security aspects, the National Security Policy has been prepared. In its preparation, input is taken from numerous civilian departments, law enforcement agencies, and military establishment as well. Thus, we can safely say that this policy is a consensus-based document, and is a great example of the collective wisdom of different governmental bodies.
What is the context of developing National Security Policy Pakistan?
Why there was a need of developing a national security policy at this point of time in Pakistan’s history? This can be answered based on three broad factors. On the basis of these three factors, one can say that it become absolutely necessary for Pakistan to deduce such a policy.
1. Changing Security threats in the 21st century
These changing security threats are not Pakistani-centric only. Generally, any state faces such kinds of threats. These security issues include the threat of cyber-attacks and cyber security issues, 5th generation warfare, hybrid war, media warfare, narrative buildings, proxy warfare, and using unconventional means to destabilize states. Thus, there is an external environment of security with respect to Pakistan in which major strategic changes have been occurring.
For instance, we can see alliance and counter alliances in neighboring country Afghanistan which significantly impacts the security of Pakistan. Thus, changing regional security apparatus has necessitated the establishment of a comprehensive policy.
2. Changing Foreign Policy Priorities of Pakistan
Pakistan’s foreign historical experience of foreign policy has given us a lesson that strategic interests are important but to achieve strategic interest, the country needs to have a strong economic foundation. In this context, we see that there is a gradual shift in Pakistan’s foreign policy, from geo-strategic to geo-economics. However, this shift by no means meant that Pakistan will ignore the strategic interest. It just means that economic interests are fundamentals to achieving the strategic interest, and not the other way around. Thus, we see Pakistan’s major focus on internal security in order to achieve its economic interests.
Similarly, Pakistan is focusing on external peace to achieve economic strength. In this context, we have seen different government officials including the prime minister of Pakistan saying that “Pakistan will be partnered in peace and not a partner in war.” So that component of peace in the foreign policy is necessitated by the economic interest of Pakistan.
Thus, we can say that because of this shift from geo-strategic to geo-economic Pakistan’s internal issues, especially economic issues, are directly linked with the external security of Pakistan in order to create synchronization and to take a holistic approach towards security and foreign policy. Therefore, Pakistan has to develop such a comprehensive national security policy that takes into consideration domestic economic as well as external security issues.
3. Institutionalization of military’s role in internal security.
The national security policy is, in a way, a realization in Pakistan to institutionalize the military’s role in the internal security of Pakistan due to emerging security threats to Pakistan. Historically, the military has remained one of the major stakeholders with respect to foreign policy, external and internal security, and political stability in Pakistan due to numerous reasons. We can never delink internal security from external security. So, the military, as the dominant power broker, has remained a stakeholder in Pakistan.
Thus, in the last four or five decades, we see the creation of different institutions whose sole purpose was to provide the Pakistani military an institutional say in Pakistan’s domestic security issues. The very first example was the establishment of the National Security Council under the general Zia regime in the 1980s. This national Security Council comprises both civilian and military leadership, and is chaired by the President of Pakistan. This council has played a critical role in maintaining internal as well as external security. As a consequence of this, the military has played a role in the 1990s in the Karachi operation and Balochistan insurgency.
Abolishment of National Security Council with 13th Amendment
Similarly, in the late 1990s when the 13th amendment was introduced in the constitution of Pakistan, the institution of National Security was disbanded. The abolishment of the institution of National Security limits the role of the military to its original jurisdiction of external security. Although as per the constitution, the military could be involved in the domestic security scenarios by the government, this can only be a time or need-based involvement, and not an institutional involvement. This was something that was not liked by the military establishment at that time.
Revival of National Security Council
Therefore, in the next martial law of Pervez Musharraf, the military’s role again institutionalizes and there was the revival of the National Security Council. This again gives the military not only an external security jurisdiction but also makes it an institutional and constitutional stakeholder in the domestic security of Pakistan. This justifies the military’s operation in tribal areas of Pakistan, Swat and Balochistan as well.
Abolishment with the 18th amendment
In the aftermath of the 18th amendment, we see that the National Security Council was dismantled once again. Consequently, again there is a vacuum and a gap. There is a kind of limit to the military’s involvement in domestic security issues as well as politics. This was a time of 2010 when Pakistan was facing the peak of terrorism, and it continued for the next five to six years. Thus, the military’s institutional role was not there, but the military comes to the aid of civilian government as per the constitution at that time.
In the midst of all this, there was the APS tragedy. Thus, there was a need to institutionalize the role of the military in Pakistan again. As a result, during that time, we see the formation of numerous apex committees at federal and provincial levels, where the military played a role in the institutional framework of providing internal and external security.
This model worked very successfully. However, in the last few years of PML-N government, we have witnessed a civil-military division on numerous issues. Thus, all these apex committees become practically dysfunctional. Due to this, the military’s role got limited from Pakistan’s internal security, and during this time period, we saw the internal security situation deteriorate in Pakistan.
Revival of Institutional Military role through National Security Policy Pakistan
These national internal security issues have great linkage with the external security issues of Pakistan and have a direct correlation. Consequently, during the current PTI’s government, when the National Security Advisor, Dr. Moeed Yousuf assumed office, he was fully cognizant of such issues. He knows the importance of a holistic approach to national security threats facing Pakistan.
He also understands the importance of the involvement of the military as an institution and as a major stakeholder in playing a major role in the internal and external security of Pakistan. Therefore, it is in this context that some scholars believe that this national security policy was introduced as a result of which we will see a greater institutional and policy-based role of the military establishment in the internal security of Pakistan. Thus, some scholars are seeing this National Security Policy of Pakistan as a means to give the military a greater role to involve in the domestic issues of Pakistan.
However, whatever is the context, what we do know is that the national security policy is a first-of-its-kind document and has a greater role to play in Pakistan’s politics and it reflects the changing regional global, and internal security dynamics of Pakistan.
Enforcement and Implementational challenges of National Security Policy Pakistan
Every policy needs some institutional frameworks for implementation. For external security, we have military institutions. For internal security, we have numerous law enforcement agencies, police, NACTA, among others.
However, since we are establishing a link between internal and external security, historically we see the role of the National Security Council for this purpose at the policy level. But at the operational level, how this will be enforced? What could be the possible link between civil and military institutions? Similarly, what could be the possible link of the civilian institutions within themselves especially economic, political, and governance-related?
Furthermore, what will be the coordinating body that could be established among the different LEAs and the military? Like the one in the US by the name of Homeland Security. Thus, what kind of department will be established in Pakistan in this respect, and in whose supervision will this department will work? These are all the questions on which work has to be done by the state and the government of Pakistan.
If the government fails to work on all these operational framework issues, then we can say that the National Security Policy Document will be good only on paper. Questions will be raised on the effectiveness of this policy.
Major Emphasis on Economic Security
Another challenge in the enforcement of this policy is that Pakistan is trying to make economic security the major component of security whether internal or external. This geo-economic shift could be the desire of Pakistan. However, does the regional and global strategic environment permit us to prioritize the economic interest? Especially in the context of the regional security dynamics happening in the neighborhood, the beginning of the new cold war, aggressive India, the rise of the Taliban, and the Iranian-western hostilities.
All these issues will be pushing Pakistan towards a security-centric policy. Also, these issues will be creating constraints for Pakistan’s economic growth. Thus, regional and global issues will have an impact on the economic interest of Pakistan which will be beyond the control of Pakistan.
Conclusion
To sum up, we can say that this National Security Policy is a very important step in the right direction that Pakistan has taken. However, Pakistan has seen historically many different documents that were very good on paper but when it comes to their practice and implementation, they were not very successful.
So, the success of this policy will depend fundamentally upon three factors. First, whether or not this policy is implemented in letter and spirit. Second, whether civil-military remain on the same page to implement this policy. Lastly, if the political elite of Pakistan (the political parties, the political institutions) also remains on the same page considering the sharp political polarization that we face in the country. Without these three factors, the success of this National Security Policy in Pakistan will become difficult.
