Sovereign Development: A Grand Strategy for Pakistan

Abstract

Although Pakistan has never been even accused of any complicity in 9/11, during 2005-2013 U.S. drones killed some 80,000 Pakistanis (49,000 civilians); and associated domestic subversion and terrorism, another 50,000 persons. Pakistan needs to defend its citizens, better. This requires sovereign action by the government to formulate and execute a grand strategy integrating a counter-propaganda offensive, defence, diplomacy, and an expanded conception of development that includes national security (sovereign development). By way of context, the paper identifies four emergent trends that have affected Pakistan, and are likely to be of significance in the years ahead: (1) The re-birth of nationalism in the West; (2) The dominance of “War by Narrative” in the war for oil and Israel; (3) The economic emergence of Sino-Russian Eurasia; and (4) The emergence of militant extremism in India. Together they spell the further weakening of international mechanisms of peace-keeping and the consequent end of globalism as the West turns toward greater nationalism and neo-mercantile economics. While the rise of China and Russia may offset the turn to greater militarism in India, contingent threats to Pakistan's security are likely to rise. To meet these threats, the paper outlines a four-point grand strategy of sovereign development which would provide an overall integrated approach to: (1) Strategic communication; (2) Defence; (3) Diplomacy; and (4) Development. It concludes by identifying some constraints to implementation and suggesting ways to overcome them.