Economy of National Security: A Case Study of Pakistan

Abstract

For the reasons of history, religion, language, culture, aspirations, geopolitics and power; conscious and considered decisions put a country and its economy on a chosen path. The greater context is always Development State v.s., Security State. Pakistan is no exception. On its creation, Pakistan could have moved in the direction of Development State, but it did not. Perhaps the burden of sub-conscious was too much to ignore. It opted for Economy of National Security i.e., power struggle. Over the decades, Pakistan’s economy became a combination of national and external resource allocations for the reasons of global geo-politics. Previously, it was Cold War, now it is War on Terror. National capacity of the resource allocation has been stretched to its maximum. Domestically, it led to political and religious reductionism. In foreign policy, the choices made were of Cold War, military buildup, nuclear weapons, delivery systems and alliances in the quest for security and geopolitical status.Has Pakistan succeeded? The problem is that the centre of gravity of American War on Terror and nuclear proliferation is Pakistan itself.