Pakistan is faced with a serious economic crisis amid dwindling foreign exchange reserves and skyrocketing inflation as well as post-pandemic and post-flood troubles. The world’s fifth most populous country, a nuclear-armed state, is constantly unstable.
It is important to note that in the 21st century, Pakistan is at the cutting edge of new challenges — environmental, political and financial. As a result of perpetual domestic instability, Pakistan is losing relevance in the international system. Human development, technological sophistication, leapfrogging industrial growth, and effective and efficient channeling of the young generation are urgent priorities.
In the 21st century human agency is a fungible asset. The paradigm of state power has changed in the last decade from security mechanisms to comprehensive security. Human development is the most recent variant of state security. Having 60% of the population in the 15-30 age group is a double-edged sword. Unless the state makes effective use of the youth bulge, it will continue to experience constant paranoia, and the issues related to settling an ineffective population will continue to grow as a result. The government needs to invest in human development for the development of the state. To achieve sustainable economic growth, it is essential to consider human security as a state security issue.
An emerging world order is the transition from traditional strategic positions to a tech-oriented world order. The coming age is the age of technological sophistication. Traditional economic configurations will supersede technology. From a security perspective, we have to develop technological advancements to counter the non-kinetic threats of force and cyberspace warfare. The Pakistani state must develop the invincible force of technical sophistication to counter centrifugal disintegration. To cultivate global relevance in the 21st century it is an essential for Pakistan to invest in science, technology and data. As of 2023, Pakistan has yet to compete in the growing market for data, technology and internet-based economies, despite its 230 million population.
Every morning’s dawn brings new forms of oppression and problems for the under-developed classes in Pakistan. The deprivation of the people turned into a trust deficit among the masses. The trust deficit further fuels illegitimate forums for many. For a sustainable and future-oriented nation, it is necessary to consider the reconfiguration of a pluralistic society. It is an essential need of the Pakistani state to ensure trust in the masses and sustain a society in positive ways.
It is unfortunate that Pakistan’s young suffer from frustration, depression and an inability to find economic and social relevance. This constant hysteria and pessimism causes disastrous brain drain. For sustainable growth, the country needs an efficient and effective workforce, but the constant blackout of the population threatens both security and the economy. The government must attach strategic importance to the rising brain drain. Investment in the youth and channelisation of their potential in productive ways is essential for Pakistan in the 21st century.
In 2022, the World Bank predicted Pakistan’s growth at 4%; but in 2023, it predicted that growth would be 2%. The large-scale manufacturing industry like chemicals and textiles fell by 5.5% in 2022 in comparison with 2021. The devastating floods of 2022 caused many other problems. Textiles are a major source of Pakistan’s exports. Almost 7 million workers have lost their jobs in the cotton industry. For Pakistan to be able to accommodate its unemployed population, as well as for the country to be able to export its products to global markets, industrial growth is necessary.
These key factors must be discerned for successful development of Pakistan in the 21st century. There is widespread political instability in Pakistan because corruption stymies the state’s ability to respond to all these existing and emerging problems. We need political stability to counter these issues for sustainable growth and relevance in the international hierarchy.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 22nd, 2023.
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