In recent years, non-traditional security threats have been one of the top priorities in the international arena. Economic security, food security, health security, environmental security, personal security, community security, and political security are all components of human security, according to the 1994 Human Development Report “New Dimensions of Human Security” prepared by the committee headed by renowned Pakistani economist Dr . Mahbub ul Haq. Following advances in technology and the information revolution, financial security and cybersecurity are now seen as crucial components of human security and eventually national security of Pakistan.
This article aims to show how important political security is for the growth of a state, especially in the context of Pakistan. As Pakistan celebrates 75 years of independence, it has faced political turmoil since independence, sometimes in the form of dictatorship and sometimes in the form of democratic rule, even today we witness political instability in the country. Political security refers to the organizational consistency of states, that is, the political ideology and governmental structures that give nations and governments their legitimacy.
In the course of a long 75-year journey, Pakistan went through a series of political cycles. There was no prospect of a democratic state offering socio-economic justice and fair administration to all Pakistani residents because the politicians were corrupt and only cared about maintaining their political power and protecting the interests of the elite. Economic security, general human security and political security go hand in hand. Political stability not only provides us with a secure environment at the national level, but also helps us project a positive image to the outside world, so that the global community can see us without reservation. Political security is the most important tool in the security dilemma of the 21st century. Since it not only promotes internal organizational security, but also attracts the attention of the international community to look to the following country with gestures of goodwill, and opens up new opportunities for developing countries.
“The future began yesterday, and we are already late.” – Johannes Legende
Pakistan is a country with a number of political parties and the most prominent among them is in power in the form of an alliance called PDM and the opposition party is PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf), both are in a tug of war with each other, which created the political unrest in the country. The reason behind this political turmoil is the fraudulent policies of our leadership. Our leadership uses 19th-century tools with 12th-century thinking to address 21st-century issues in national and international forums. And the lack of leadership has wreaked havoc in the country for the past 75 years. This political turmoil has not only halted the country’s growth, but also affected bilateral relations with many countries.
importance of political security
All other aspects of human security are directly affected by a particular state’s political security. For example, if a citizen does not have access to freedom of speech, freedom of the press and freedom of choice, their personal security would still be in doubt. Additionally, a lack of political security can create instability that strains all aspects of personal security. Similarly, human rights violations that pose a serious threat to political security are brought to the attention of international organizations and can lead to penalties against states. This could also make the state a prime target for hybrid warfare, opening it up to enemy exploitation. As a result, maintaining personal and societal security are becoming critical components of human security for success in achieving political security.
Although the importance of political security is stressed, this should not be forgotten economic security is directly linked to political security. Countries like Pakistan depend on external organizations for their development and cannot decide what is better for their citizens. Such states continue to face the challenge of providing their citizens with political security. Developing countries that are economically dependent on aid organizations can fall into the category of states that lack political stability and cannot withstand political shocks due to economic instability. One of the most prominent examples is Sri Lanka.
Economists view political instability as a major affliction affecting economic performance. Political unrest is likely to shorten policymakers’ time horizons, leading to sub-optimal short-term macroeconomic policies. Additionally, it could lead to more frequent policy changes, which would increase volatility and hurt macroeconomic performance. It is not wrong to say that political security is directly proportional to economic security and, more broadly, to human security.
Navigate in the future
Impressive visions and mighty thoughts lie at the heart of human progress and prosperity. Policies that encapsulate these help evoke nationwide feelings consistent with a nation’s imaginative and forward-thinking dreams for itself.
Pakistan wants to be very careful in dealing with issues that lead to political unrest due to lack of private, communal and financial security. Ordinary people are under the palpable pressure of rising inflation and currency devaluation, and our enemy could use this to create social rifts. One of the bold steps taken by the previous government was the introduction of the National Security Policy. (2020-2026). The recently issued national security policy attaches fantastic importance to the protection and well-being of people, and this is a qualitative step forward. Pakistan must try to ensure that the NSP is well implemented for its citizens and to achieve the strategic goals. This type of cover was first introduced in Pakistan in view of its independence. The main focus of this policy is on traditional and unconventional threats that cannot be countered with the political balance. In the first section, the governments intend to shape the governance appropriate to the existing challenging situations. Pakistan’s fate depends on embracing change. I simply agree that Pakistan has wonderful potential to fulfill all demanding situations but only if it has proper management and takes the right path to satisfy them. But success depends on how well the ministries below can coordinate their individual policies, and it all starts with stable government.
Aimen Jamil has a bachelor’s degree in International Relations