Political Security: Building A New Future – OpEd
In recent years non-traditional security threats are 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 Human Development Report 1994, "New Dimensions of Human Security," which was created by the Committee led by renowned Pakistani economist Dr Mahbub ul Haq. Following technological advancements and the information revolution, financial security and cyber security are now seen as crucial components of human security and, eventually, Pakistan's national security.
This article aims to highlight, how political security is important for the growth of a state, especially in the context of Pakistan. As Pakistan marks seventy-five years of independence, it has faced political turmoil since its independence sometimes in the form of dictatorship and sometimes in democratic rule even today we are witnessing political instability in the country. Political security refers to the organizational consistency of states, i.e., the political ideology and governmental structures that provide nations and governments their legitimacy.
In the course of a long 75-year journey, Pakistan went through a number of political cycles. There was no prospect for a democratic state that delivered socioeconomic justice and fair administration to all Pakistani residents because the politicians were corrupt and only concerned with preserving their political power and ensuring the interests of the elite. Economic security, general human security, and political security all go hand in hand. In addition to providing us with a safe environment at the national level, political stability also helps us project a positive image to the outside world, allowing the worldwide community to view us without any reservations. Political security is the most important tool in the security dilemma in the 21st century. As it not only fosters internal organization security but also attracts the attention of the international community to look upon the following country with goodwill gestures and opens new ways of opportunity for the developing countries.
“The future started yesterday, and we’re already late.” -- John Legend
Pakistan is a country with a number of political parties and the most significant 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 has created the political unrest in the country. The reason behind this political turmoil is the fraudulent policies of our leadership. Our leadership is using the tools of the 19th century with the mind-set of the 12th century to deal with the problems of the 21st century at national and international fora. And the lack of leadership has created the havoc in country in the past seventy-five years. This political turmoil has not only ceased the growth of the country but also has affected bilateral relations with many countries.
Significance of Political Security
All other aspects of human security are directly impacted by the political security of any given state. For instance, if a citizen does not have access to the freedoms of speech, the press, and voting, his personal safety would still be in doubt. Furthermore, a lack of political security may result in instability, which puts strain on all aspects of personal security. Similar to how human rights violations, which pose a serious threat to political security, are brought to the attention of international organizations and may result in penalties against states. This might also make the state a prime target for hybrid warfare and open it up to enemy exploitation. As a result, maintaining personal and societal security become crucial components of human security for success in achieving political security.
While emphasizing the importance of political security, it should not be forgotten that economic security is directly linked with political security. Countries like Pakistan, are dependent on outside organizations for their development and are unable to decide what is better for their citizen. Such states continue to have challenges in giving their citizens political security. Developing countries that depend on aid organizations economically may fall into the category of states that lack political stability and are unable to withstand political shocks as a result of economic instability. One of the most prominent examples is Sri Lanka.
Economists view political instability as a major ailment that harms economic performance. Political unrest is likely to make policymakers' time horizons shorter, which will result in less-than-ideal macroeconomic short-term measures. Additionally, it might result in more frequent policy changes, which would increase volatility and harm macroeconomic performance. It will not be wrong to say that political security is directly proportional to economic security and at a broader level to human security.
Navigating the Future
Formidable visions and massive thoughts lie on the heart of human progress and prosperity. Regulations that encapsulate these contribute in the direction of galvanizing countrywide sentiments consistent with the imaginative and prescient and dreams a nation units for itself.
Pakistan wishes to be very careful whilst coping with troubles that causes political unrest due to lack of private, communal and monetary security. Normal humans are below notable pressure from rising inflation and devaluing currencies, and our enemy may use this to create social rifts. One of the bold steps taken by the previous administration was advent of the National Security Policy. (2020-2026). The lately issued country wide security policy attaches fantastic importance to human protection and welfare and this is a high quality step forward. Pakistan must try to make sure that the NSP is nicely carried out for its citizens and to gain the strategic goals. This type of coverage was introduced in Pakistan for the primary time considering its independence. The primary focus of this policy is on traditional and unconventional threats that cannot be addressed by using the political balance. Within the first section, governments intention to shape governance appropriately to existing demanding situations. Pakistan's destiny depends on embracing change. I simply agree with that Pakistan has wonderful potential to fulfil all demanding situations, but only if it has a proper management and goes within the proper path to satisfy them. But success depends on how well the ministries below can coordinate their individual policies, and it all starts with a stable government.
Aimen Jamil holds a Bachelor’s in International Relations