Human Security in Pakistan: Challenges and Opportunities

350 Pages·2010·30.844 MB·English

by  Akshay K. Singh

HUMAN SECURITY IN PAKISTAN: CHALLENGES
AND OPPORTUNITIES
Thesis submitted to Jawaharlal Nehru University
for award oft he degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
AKSHAY K. SINGH
South Asian Studies
Centre for South, Central, South East Asian and South West Pacific
Studies
School of International Studies
JAWA HARLAL NEHRU UNIVERSITY
NEW DELID-110067
INDIA
2010
SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
JAWAHARLAL NEHRU UNIVERSITY
NEW DELHI-110067
South Asian Studies Date: July 21, 2010
Centre for South, Central, South-East Asian
and South West Pacific Studies
DECLARATION
I declare that the thesis entitled, "Human Security in Pakistan: Challenges and
Opportunities", submitted by rre for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
of Jawaharlal Nehru University is my own work. The thesis has not been submitted for
any other degree of this university or any other university.
~.s~ ~~v. ~,r
AKSHAY KU~R SINGH
CERTIFICATE
We recommend that this thesis be placed before the examiners for evaluation.
\ ·lr.~~C~
~ (;\IV"' "" ' '
PROF. SAV A PANDE
-~~entral
South East
Asian an South V':;.'st PacT; 3'uc es
School of lnternat:cnal Stua:es
Jawaharlal Nehn. . Un1vers1:y
New Delh1- 110067

CONTENTS
I. Acknowledgement
II. Preface .................................................................................................. i-xii
III. List of Tables and Graphs ......................................................................... xiii-xiv
' IV. Acronyms ............................................................................................x v-xvii
CHAPTER-1: THE CONCEPT OF SECURITY: AN EXAMINATION OF VARIOUS
SECURITY PARADIGMS ................................................................................ 1-42
MAPPING THE CONTEXT ............................................................................... . 1
SECURITY: THE MULTI-FACETED CONCEPT IN
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ........................................................................ . 5
CONTESTED DOMAIN OF SECURITY ............................................................... . 6
Normative Character of the Concept of Security.......................................... ........ 8
Relation between Security, Power and Strategy.................................................... 10
Changing Dynamics of International Relations and
Security Concerns.............................................................................................. 11
SECURITY DEBATE AND VARIOUS SECURITY PARADIGMS................................. 18
CONVENTIONAL PARADIGM'S ARGUMENT AND DEFENCE................................. 18
NON- CONVENTIONAL PARADIGM'S ARGUMENT AND DEFENCE........................ 19
The Copenhagen School's Approach ............................................................... 20
The Constructivist Approach ......... ·................................................................ 21
The Critical School's Approach..................................................................... 22
The Feminist Perspective.............................................................................. 25
Post- Structuralist Approach ......................................................................... 26
Human Security Approach............................................................................ 26
RELEVANCE OF HUMAN SECURITY IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD ................. 36
HUMAN SECURITY IN PAKISTAN..................................................................... 39
CHAPTER- 2: THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE ON HUMAN SECURITY ..................4 4-79
BACKGROUND.......................................................................................... 43
PERSPECTIVE ON THE CONCEPT.................................................................. 45
APPROACHES TO HUMAN SECURITY............................................................. 49
United Nations Development Programme's Approach......................................... 50
The government Level Approach.................................................................. 52
The Independent Commissions Approach........................................................ 57
The Academic Approach to Human Security..................................................... 60
Broad versus Narrow Approach to Human Security............................................ 61
SALIENT FEATURES OF HUMAN SECURITY .................................................... 63
A CRITICAL APPRAISAL............................................................................... 66
DEFENSE OF HUMAN SECURITY.................................................................... 70
EVOLVING A FRAMEWORK .............................................................. , . . . .. . .. ... 71
THE LOGIC OF THREATS TO HUMAN SECURITY
AND MEANS TO ACHEIVE IT........................................................................... 73
EVOLVING THE FRAMEWORK FOR HUMAN SECURITY
IN PAKISTAN ................................................................................................. 78
CHAPTER-3: CHALLENGES TO HUMAN SECURITY IN PAKISTAN FROM THE
PERSPECTIVE OF "FREEDOM FROM FEAR" ................................................. 80-133
BACKGROUND .............................................................................................. 80
REGIONAL DYNAMICS OF SOUTH ASIA AND
MULTIPLICITY OF SECURITY ISSUES ................................................................ 82
CHALLENGES TO HUMAN SECURITY FROM THE
PERSPECTIVE OF FREEDOM FROM FEAR.......................................................... 90
CHALLENGES TO POLITICAL AND SOCIETAL SECURITY.................................... 90
Predicaments of Nation- Building................................................................... 94
Perils ofDemocracy..................... ... ... ... ......... ......... ...... ... ......... ................ 99
Ecliptic Influence of Military. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. 100
Awful Political Culture, Absence ofGovemability and Follies of Political Players ........ 106
Structural and Functional Frailty................................................................... 108
CHALLENGES TO PERSONAL SECURITY ............................................................ 110
Interstate Conflicts................................................................................... 111
Interastate and Transnational Conflicts: Ethno-Nationalistic and Sectarian Violence..... 117
Sectarian Violence................................................................................... 121
Zia ul Haq's Islamisation and Sectarianism...................................................... 122
Role ofMadrassas, Jihadi Culture and Religious Extremism.................................. 126
Light Weapon Proliferation, Drug Culture and Illegal Migrants ............................... 130
CHAPTER-4: CHALLENGES TO HUMAN SECURITY IN PAKISTAN FROM THE
PERSPECTIVE OF "FREEDOM FROM WANT" ............................................... 134-196
BACKGROUND........................................................................................... 134
POVERTY AS A CHALLENGE TO HUMAN SECURITY
IN PAKISTAN ............................................................................................. 136
Poverty Trap: Magnitude and Intensity............................................................ 137
Pakistan's Human Deprivation Profile.............................................................. 145
Growth without Development: Political Economy of
Macroeconomic Mismanagement................................................................... 151
Phase-! (1947-58): Many Challenges, Little Opportunities..................................... 154
Phase- II (1959- 71): Era of Economic Growth with Widening Inequality................... 155
Phase-III (1971-77): Socialist Pattern of Economy without Equity............................. 157
Phase-IV (1977-88): Succumbing Fortuitous Effects and Mixing
Liberal recipe in the Economy ....................................................................... 158
Phase- V (1988-99): The Era of Multifaceted Crisis.............................................. 159
Phase- VI (1999-2008): Simultaneous Existence of Growth
and Inequality ........................................................................................... 160
Phase- VII (2008-2010): Global Recession and Macroeconomic
Vulnerability ............................................................................................ 161
Agrarian Structure and Rural Poverty ............................................................... 162
The Problem ofUnemployment. ..................................................................... 166
Low Human Capital Attribute: Case and Effect ofPoverty............ ...... .......... .......... 169
Vicious Cycle of Demographic Eruption........................................................... 172
Gender Disparity: Cause and Effect................................................................. 174
FOOD INSECURITY ....................................................................................... 179
HEALTH VULNERABILITIES AND CHALLENGES
TO HUMAN SECURITY IN PAKISTAN............................................................. 181
ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS TO HUMAN SECURITY
IN PAKISTAN .............................................................................................. 187
CHAPTER-S: WAYS AND MEANS TO OVERCOME THE CHALLENGES TO HUMAN
SECURITY IN PAKISTAN .......................................................................... 197-264
BACKGROUND ........................................................................................... 197
ARRIVING AT CONSENSUS- BASED FRAMEWORK FOR
OPERA TIONALISATION OF HUMAN SECURITY............................................... 198
POLITICAL SECYRITY IN PAKISTAN THROUGH
DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE ........................................................................ 212
Establishing Supremacy of Electoral Politics and
Representative Legitimacy ........................................................................... 216
Fixing Fair Rule of Game and Making Political
Players Accountable.................................................................................. 220
Institutional reforms ................................................................................... 222
Reforms in Bureaucracy .............................................................................. 223
ENSURING PERSONAL SECURITY BY MITIGATING INTERSTATE,
INTRASTATE, AND TRANSNATIONAL CONFLICTS........................................... 232
Reform in Law and Order Enforcement Machinery .............................................. 233
Intelligence Agencies Reform....................................................................... 236
Resolving Conflicts with India ....................................................................... 237
INSURING ECONOMIC SECURITY THROUGH
MULTI- PRONGED ENDEVAVOURS ............................................................... 241
Ensure Inclusive Growth............................................................................ 242
Enhancing Security for Poor ........................................................................ 245
Revamping Rural Development.................................................................... 248
Building up Human Capital......................................................................... 249
HEALTH SECURITY.................................................................................... 253
ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY....................................................................... 259
SEEKING SUPPORT FROM COALITION OF STATES,
AND MULTILATERAL FORUMS WORKING IN THE FIELD OF
HUMAN SECURITY ....................................................................................... 262
CHAPTER-6: CONCLUSION ......................................................................... 265-289
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................ 290-325
I ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Acknowledgment
I express my deepest gratitude to my esteemed supervisor, cpyoj. Savita
of
Pantle, for lier aistinctive contri6ution in tfie compfetion tliis ttiesis.
Witliout tier continuous tie(p andg uidance, inva{ua6fe and inspiring advices,
constant supervision and encouragement, patient 6earing ana generosity in
granting innumera6fe efforts woufif not fiave 6een fruitful Por a{{
e~es,
tliis, I am immense{y tlianFifuC to tier.
of
I am tlian/ifu{ to a{{ my teacliers at Soutfi }lsian Studies, Scfioo{
Intenuztiona{ Stutfzes (SIS), Jawa/iarfa{ Neliru Vniversity for providing me
of
an opportunity to wor{ on one tlie most and refevant su6jects.
conte~ua{
of
I owe, especia{{y, a tfe6t gratitude to cpyoj. S. V. ~ uni (former cpyofessor at
Soutli }lsian Stzufzes), wlio inspired me to wor{ on tlie su6ject refated to
liuman security and to iffustrate tliis in Soutli }lsian conte:{!. Jfis critica{
of
evaCuation tlie su6ject in my me a Cot to give tliis tliesis a
~.Piiilguided
proper orientation. CJlianR§ are afso due to cpyof. Lama for introducing
~.P.
of
ttie concept of liuman security in tfie sy{(a6us Soutfi Jl_sian Studies, SIS,
of
J:NV andS ii{.R..fm Vniversity and to remain a constant source inspiration
to me for tliis worR:_ cpyof. 1(anti (]3ajpai ana cpyof. Jl_nuraalia Cfienoy
~-
pioneered tlie effort in SIS (J:NV) to deep{y expfore tfie tlieoretica{ premise of
liuman security. cpyof. Ctienoy's co-autliored 6ool{. witfi sfiafir6anou
rr'at(j6al{.fisfi fie{ped me get insiglit for tliis worf<:. I am immense{y tlianFifuC to
6otli cpyoj. (]3ajpai ana cpyof. Cfienoy.
I owe a profound" gratitude to cpyof. q'yagi, tlie Vean, SIS for
t'f.~
en{igfitening ana enricliing my tliougfits on tlie su6ject ana encouraging me
to accomp{isfi my tasl{.in an efficient manner. I am inde6tea to tlie Piefd-trip
of
Committee, SIS for its support in tenns JieUf trip grant for V. ~ for
of
expert consuftation as weff as reacfiing out to tfie peopfe Pal{.istan in tfie
of of
city (]3radjorcf. I am afso immense(y grateful to Inaian Councif Socia{
Science CJ?gsearcli (ICSSc.R) for financia{ support for meeting tfie
e~ending
of
requirements Jiefif trip.
I acl{.nowfedjje witfi tfianf<§ tlie proficient guidance ana immense
of
support (J>roj. Sfiaun qregory, Jfeaa of Pal{.istan Security C%searcfi Vnit
(PS(j{V), Vniversity of (]3radford ana Prof ~ary 1(aUfor, Co-Virector, LSP.
of
qfo6a{ (jovenuznce at tlie London Sclioo{ P.conomics ana Pofitica{
Science, wliicli I got during my visit to V.'l(, in June 2009. I wouU Cif<! to
of
tfiank, Prof Jenny c.Pearce, CDirector Internationa{ Centre for (participation
Studies, Vniversity ofr .Brat[fordf or sliaring witfi me fier time for interaction
on tfie refevant issues, concerning tfie su6ject oft fie researcli. CJ!ianfiJ are afso
due to James CJ{evi{{, 1(atja (~jif<gnen and} lrsfiatfJ fa6i6, wfio interacted witli
me at Vniversity of (Bradford on a num6er of issues refated to c.Pak,istan 's
pofitico-security ands ocia{ affairs.
I express my ftearty gr_atitude to a num6er of c.Pak,istani peopfe,
incfuding students studying in V.'l( for participating in interview witfi me
on tfie su6ject in June 2009.
I wouU Cif<! to tfiank, tfte staffs oft fte Ci6raries ofJ .N. V., Vniversity
of( ])effi~ Vniversity of( Bradford, Institute of Vefence Stuazes and} lna(ysis,
'l'een 9rturti, }lmerican Infonnation CR§source Centre, SJIJICR.C
Vocumentation Centre, and Centra{ Secretariat Li6rary for tfieir cooperation
in muftipfe ways in tftis academic endeavour.
c.Perfiaps no words can express my gratitude to (])eepti for fter mora{
and inteffectua{ support against aff odds I faced during compfetion of tliis
wor~ I am tfianlifuf to c.P. 1( !Nayak,, rcJi~as CJ'ripatfi~ Cfiiranjiv, Santosfi
and :Neeraj Singli and aff my 6atcfi mates and juniors at Soutfi }lsian
Studies, and my younger 6rotfiers ands ister (])ftruv, }lditya and7 vtatffiu wfio
spared tlieir vafua6fe time and offered tfteir cooperation wliicft fed to tfie
. successjuf compfetion oft liis wo~
}l6ove a{{, fiow mucft I am inde6ted to my parents cannot 6e drawn
into words. Infact, it was tlieir unstinting support in muftipfe ways tfiat
made tliis work,possi6fe.
Jfowever, my supervisor is not responsi6fe for tfie errors, or
inaccuracies tfiat migftt remain in tliis worl<:, CJ1ie onus is on me for a{{
mistaRss e.:{jst in tliis worf<:.
2JtliJu{y,2010
New (])e{fii
Preface
Human Security is a new perspective on security. It represents the changing landscape of the
contemporary international security realities. Besides, it also offers a broad and comprehensive
model to understand a complex of interrelated threats to the security of individual. Resuhed from
an effort to reconceptualise security, human security, infact, is primarily an "analytical tool"
which focuses on ensuring security for the individual, not the state. Therefore, the primary goal
behind the concept of human security is the safety and wellbeing of individual. In simple words,
contrary to the conventional paradigm of security, human security describes that security
materialises not just from safeguarding of the state as a political unit, but also from the protection
against structural violence that often accompanies many aspects of non-territorial threats.
The essential thrust of this research work is to explore security from a human perspective
and to illustrate this perspective by drawing on case material from Pakistan. Therefore, the prime
objective of the work is to look into the theoretical aspect of human security and then investigate
the reasons why threats to security of Pakistan need to be inquired by none other than this
approach. The objective is not restricted only to map out the challenges to security of individuals
in Pakistan, but also to suggest the ways and means to overcome them. To accomplish these
objectives, the work takes into account four hypotheses. First, conventional paradigm of security
fails to meet the contemporary security realities of the world; Second, security of individuals in
Pakistan is in peril due to persistent emphasis on military security; Third, out of two dimensions
of human security, threats to "freedom from fear" factor in Pakistan are equally potent to those
of "freedom from want"; and Fourth, challenges in terms of threats to the vital core of
individual's security in Pakistan are removable if measures of human security are brought into
play.
It is commonly believed that for decades, in the discipline of international relations, the
concept of security has been construed from the perspective of realism or structural realism
From this perspective, security refers to the protection of state's vital interests and core values
from external threats. However, collectively all paradigms which hold state as a referent object
of security is termed as traditional or conventional paradigm of security. Limiting state as a
referent object of security and protecting states' vital core as its security values is regarded as
narrow conceptualisation of security. The awareness against drawing limit to the concept of
security gained momentum in the late sixties and early seventies when the world was caught in a
sever energy crisis. Meanwhile, environmental issues. began to precipitate as a big threat to the
survival of entire human community. In scholarly as well as policy arenas, thereafter the debate
over domain of security got expedited. Apart from military threats to security, nonmilitary
threats were also felt equally important and thus expans.ion of the security domain was perceived
inevitable. In the early eighties, therefore, voices rose to make people more safe and secure by
shifting the loci of security from state to people. Howevere, state still remained the referent
object in analyses. But, the end of the Cold War and consequently the changes in the dynamics
of international system brought forth substantive changes in the way of looking security issues.
Consequently; the critical security theorists, constructivists, post-structuralists, and
feminists came up in open to criticise vehemently the conventional propositions on security.
They discredited the conventional way of understanding security on the basis of its inadequacy to
comprehend rising intra-state conflicts instead of interstate conflicts; evolving identities and
interests; the growing importance of international institutions; impact of glo balisation on security
affairs; and the issues like environmental degradation. Their demand was to evolve a
comprehensive approach to security, with an assumption that security in its end is freedom from
threats to one's survival. In contemporary times, therefore, to understand security properly and to
address issues related to it effectively, only that kind of security approach is needed which
includes all those menaces, which go against the survival of people and communities. It was in
the light of such requirements the idea of human security moved to the centre stage.
However, the concept ofhuman security first advanced in the 1994 Human Development
report of the United Nations Development Programme. Though, the traces of ideas associated
with human security appeared in the writings of enlightenment-thinkers. Late nineteenth and
early twentieth century witnessed the advocacy of human values, international peace and order
by trans-nationalist/idealist schools. The founders of United Nations Organisation (UNO) had
also seen the importance of individual's security and viewed it co-centric to the state's security.
Infact, today's most defming aspect of human security; "freedom from fear" and "freedom from
want" seems to be borrowed from the report of the US secretary of state on the San Francisco
conference.
What does human security refer to? Human security refers to a perspective on security
which rests upon the premise that the prime objective of security is individual's safety from fear
and freedom from want. Human security is human centred and security oriented because it
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