Secure the nation by securing the human

Speakers urge political and social forces to reorient priorities away from ‘national security’ to ‘human security’.

Speakers at a seminar urged a broad consensus of all political and social forces on the need to reorient the priorities of the Pakistani state away from ‘national security’ to ‘human security’. Warning of increased religious radicalisation, ethnic polarisation and imperialist influence, they stressed on the need for a major transformation in the country’s policies.

The seminar titled ‘National Security State’ was organised by the Worker’s Party Pakistan (WPP) at the National Press Club, Islamabad. It featured the participation of a large number of political workers, students, trade unionists and intellectuals.

Scholar-activist Dr Aasim Sajjad said since the creation of the country, the permanent institutions of the state have maintained a dominant political position and siphoned off a disproportionate share of public resources under the guise of national security. He said public opinion had been forged to grant legitimacy to this ideology by over-emphasising the threat posed by neighbouring countries. Over time, this ideology became the justification for military coups, state repression of underrepresented ethnic groups and the patronage of religious militancy. He noted that the power of the establishment had historically been reinforced by American imperialism.

Noted scholar of military affairs, Dr Ayesha Siddiqa, said despite the events of September 11, 2001, the state’s alleged “policy of supporting militancy had not ceased.” She opined that introducing the notion of terrorism into public discourse and conducting arbitrary military operations against ‘extremists’ has had virtually no effect on the wider social environment within which militant ideas are circulated. She said it was critically necessary for the state to make clear efforts to reform the educational curriculum and for the media to discontinue sensationalist reporting.

Seraiki scholar Mushtaq Gaadi spoke about the effect that the national security ideology has had on the politics of ethnicity in Pakistan. He said underrepresented ethnic groups such as Sindhis, Baloch and Seraikis have always felt alienated from the state, and this is most evident in the radicalisation of Baloch youth. He lamented that “most of the populace today had little objective information on the real causes of East-Pakistan’s secession in 1971.” He said there was an opportunity to move away from the paradigm of national security to human security after that “tragedy” but the state chose to maintain and reinforce its historic orientation.

Senator Hasil Bizenjo of the National Party said that if Pakistan is to be a viable state in the 21st century, the political process must flourish and the dominance of the security establishment needs to be rolled back. In his view, this is possible only when a public movement emerges within Punjab that declares the incumbent strategic and foreign policies obsolete and a vision and identity for Pakistan is fostered. Otherwise, he warned, the forces of division will become stronger and the deprivation of the country’s working people would become more acute.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31^st, 2011.