Dwindling security: a bane to our boon

The bumpy road to sustainable development

Where we must definitely highlight before the World the dirty deeds of enemies trying to destabilise us, we must also focus on strengthening ourselves and our security to the extent that there is no Bane left to our Boon.

In wake of recent terrorist attacks, primarily in the Balochistan province, well, security till date remains the bumpy road to sustainable development of Pakistan. The irony is that it is the only road that will lead us to our everlasting dream of development and prosperity. Just when we thought that we have dominated the menace of terrorism, we have once again been reminded, through these attacks, of the brutal and effectively functional existence of the terror network in our midst.

Peace, through security, for any country today remains an essential pre-requisite for achieving sustainable development. Ever since the global initiation of war on terror, Pakistan has been struggling to discover it’s peace lost after assuming the role of front-line state in this war. Terrorist attacks staged in Pakistan, till date, have resulted in killing of over 35,000 people, 5,000 of which being law enforcement and security personnel, and have caused a material damage of approximately US$67bn to the economy.

The aforementioned figures are nothing less than a terrible eye-opener to our dream of gaining recognition as a developed country.

The road to development, without installation of an effective, proactive and fool-proof security system, will remain bumpy, making the ride tough, and keeping us at a distance from our desired destination.

The ever-vulnerable Balochistan

The largest province of Pakistan, abundantly rich in natural resources, a strategic asset for the country, Balochistan must have ideally had this introduction instead of being labeled as the most vulnerable and grieving part of our land. Political ignorance and lack of provision of basic rights and necessities for its people has driven Balochistan into a grave security situation. The province allegedly being overrun by foreign spies, primarily from India and Afghanistan, and certain other countries not highlighted yet, in addition is also a host to internal insurgent separatist movements, threatening the integrity of the state.

The recent terrorist attacks in Balochistan are alarming for the government along with the security establishment, as there is now a growing impression that the bleeding land is now the new breeding ground for terrorists. Where the security forces through operation Zarb-e-Azb have paralysed the terror network across KPK, it now seems that there is a new bastion for this menace.

Balochistan, in its current state, is a great example of the collective political and administrative failures of past and present, and this now poses serious threats to the country’s security, and prosperity at large. It is, perhaps, high time for the sitting government to take corrective measures to uplift the living and security standards and lost dignity of the Baloch people.

The threat to CPEC

CPEC is being viewed as a potential game changer for Pakistan in the long run as it will pump investment and lift the potential output, provided implemented properly and managed carefully. The $51.5b project is an opportunity for the government to fulfill its touted developmental plans for Pakistan expected to result in a high growth trajectory. However, this golden egg laying hen, appears to be on target of foreign counter-parts.

Other incompetency apart, the real serious threat to CPEC at present is the prevailing security situation, particularly in the province of Balochistan, which is a major host to the projects initiated under the umbrella of CPEC. Although the government and the security establishment is committed to go the extra mile to make CPEC work, the recent attacks in Balochistan are a cause of concern, not just for China who is providing such massive financial and technical support, but for Pakistan as well, as tremendous strategic interest for both the countries is at stake.

With CPEC underway, for Pakistan, failure is definitely not an option, as this is a landmark in the future development and prosperity of the country, and the region at large. To reap the optimal benefits of CPEC, it is essential to overcome the existing gaps in governance, and particularly in security provision, as this is the most significant risk factor of all, and needs to be dealt with iron hands. Losing on CPEC would certainly be losing the future.

The crying ‘lion’

Would a lion, crying, upon his territory being invaded by an external force, driving him out of his land, ever make sense? To many of us, maybe not. Designated as the sovereign ruler, a lion is expected to fight and defend his land against all mercenaries, foreign or domestic. Crying over failing to do so because of incompetence will definitely do no good.

Our government, in case of foreign involvement to destabilise the security situation, appears to be a perfect synonym of the crying lion. Every terror strike is followed by a long list of foreign agencies, cried out loud by the government, allegedly orchestrating the attacks, that too with proofs. Yet, our incapability on the diplomatic front to present our case at the international stage has failed us time and again, and crying over spilt milk has become the order of our day. Failing to preempt the attacks and trying to cover up our in competencies by crying out loud on the involvement of a foreign hand will never give confidence to our nation or our strategic partners willing to invest in us.

The way forward

The government, the security establishment, and the nation, we altogether must wake up to our reality, and realise how menacing we could be if we start acting accordingly. We are lions, and we must take charge of our jungle where crying and failing are not options.

Where we must definitely highlight before the world the dirty deeds of enemies trying to destabilise us, we must also focus on strengthening ourselves and our security to the extent that there is no bane left to our boon.