National Security Adviser Lieutenant General Nasser Khan Janjua (retd) Wednesday underscored the need for adopting a comprehensive outlook on national security to deal with the non-traditional security challenges to the country.
Speaking at a seminar titled "Non-Traditional Security Challenges to Pakistan," organized by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), Janjua pointed out that a strong economy is imperative for a stronger nation and to achieve this goal, all should come forward and make their contribution collectively.
"Pakistan is confronted with a plethora of non-traditional security threats, which cannot be dealt with effectively in isolation from traditional security threats. To address these challenges effectively, we'll have to adopt a comprehensive outlook on national security," he said.
Janjua outlined the constitutive elements of national security at great length, while establishing their link with nation building and nationhood. He opined that Pakistan's security challenges - both traditional and non-traditional - emanate from the negligence of the people's welfare, poor governance and dysfunctional institutions.
"If left ignored, non-traditional security threats will hamper the process of national development along with undermining national security and survival," he warned, adding that a multi-pronged approach should be formulated to deal with the challenges of environmental degradation, food and health security, water scarcity and population explosion.
"We have to improve social security of people to build a stronger Pakistan. We have to revamp the system if a common man is not feeling equality," he added.
However, he stated that after the successful military operations, along with the launch of various development projects, the security situation of the country has been improved. He said that Balochistan has been suffering a lot of issues including illiteracy, causing social imbalance in the country's largest province.
"But we fought and won hearts of the Baloch people," he said, adding that Balochistan is a story of winning of hearts by providing respect and feeling of equality and their sense of deprivation is coming to an end.
He further opined that the state must provide equal opportunities to all alike to generate strong nationalism against dangerous sub-nationalism.
Janjua further said that the political stability guarantees national security, adding that it is unfortunate that a very few political parties and political leaders are playing positive role for the federation.
"How many political parties and political leaders do we have?...Who are carrying the policy of a strong federation? Have your political parties reduced to regional, provincial character only? Do you have simmering sentiments like Pashunistan, Azad Balochistan, Sindhu Desh? What is your political culture?...Do you respond politically or militarily?" he posed the questions. He also asked whether or not the country's national security was kept in view during devolution of powers by the centre to the provinces under the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
Earlier, in his opening remarks, Chairman ISSI Ambassador Khalid Mahmood (retd) spoke about the importance of understanding the nexus between climate change and security in the process of policy formulation.
He said that, "The most important task in front of us is to connect the dots between environmental degradation, food security and water security keeping in view the population explosion."
"Pakistan requires an urgent re-conceptualization of national security and the set of recommendations for national security policy and strategy formulation to counter these challenges," he added.
Other speakers including Romina Khurshid Alam, Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change, Dr Ghulam Rasul, Director General Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), Javed Ali Khan, Country Head UN Habitat Pakistan, Dr Abid Qayyum Suleri, Executive Director, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Abdul Ghaffar Khan, DG Population, Ministry for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (MNHSRC), Dr Asma Hyder Baloch, Member Social Sector and Devolution, Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms (MPDR), Puruesh Chaudhary, Founder/President, AGAHI, Dr Zeba Sathar, Country Director, Population Council Pakistan (PCP), Javed Jabbar, Former Senator and Federal Minister, Basharat Ahmed Saeed, Water Resources Specialist, World Bank, Pakistan, Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan, Vice Chancellor, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Lieutenant General (retd) Muzammil Hussain, Chairman WAPDA and others also made presentations on the broader themes of environmental degradation, population explosion, food security, and water security.
They highlighted that nature of non-traditional threats and challenges to Pakistan are grave and that the country needs to improve its socio-economic milieu, which has both direct and indirect bearing.
The experts also accentuated the need for incorporating the elements of environmental security into the prevailing narratives of national security. It was agreed upon that urbanization, water scarcity and population explosion are problems which can be managed by introducing institutional reforms and implementing wide-ranging policy initiatives.
The speakers also agreed that a futuristic approach is absolutely essential since non-traditional security challenges are being shaped by the forces of technological advancements, the fourth industrial revolution, globalization, and the growing competition among the states and the societies for natural resources. Possibly, one of the most fundamental dimensions of non-traditional security threats are population explosion and food scarcity because they are not as dependent on external factors.
On the question of water security, all speakers agreed that the judicial arm of the country is only now realizing the threat of water security, and the Constitution of the country should look into making more reservoirs (as stated in the Climate Change Convention Implementation Act which Pakistan ratified in 2016) primarily as its responsibility being a lower riparian country, and also keeping in mind the threat from India.
They pointed out that the country has two options: to opt for either destructive potential of water or harnessing its productive potential. In case of the latter, the way forward is first to recognize that water resources are a potential competitive advantage for Pakistan's economy, they underlined.
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