National security is the ability to preserve a nation’s physical integrity and territory; to maintain its economic relations with the rest of the world on reasonable terms; to preserve its nature, institution, and governance from disruption from outside and to control its borders. National integration is the core element of national security. However, after attaining the status of an independent state in 1947, there remained a crisis of national integration in Pakistan, which has severely affected its political stability, social integration and economic stability. In the absence of national unity and integration there remained challenges for national security of Pakistan because both are directly linked. Distributive justice and inclusive economic and political development are conducive to national unity, whereas inequality and economic disparity undermine it. Unfortunately, Pakistani society is fragmented along ethnic, religious and linguistic lines. The cohesiveness of these entities is crucial to build an integrated nation. An absence of this process may threaten the very existence of the state. Pakistan has been subverted from within, and the nation is struggling for a unified identity to mark its political culture. Pakistan is an Islamic ideological state, and it should safeguard its ideology overtly. The history of Pakistan is full of irrational decisions, like relying too much on the US for meeting the country’s domestic political, economic and defence needs; joining the Afghan War and War on Terrorism without doing cost-benefit analyses; and resorting to elitists’ model of economy, which never allowed the process of making an integrated nation. The wholesome behaviour of Pakistan in its domestic affairs and international arena is the mixture of its economic, political, social and security paradoxes. Along with domestic issues, some foreign elements are also creating political instability, and trying to divide the nation based on ethnic and sectarian fault lines. Pakistan has regional importance in Central Asia, and some elements want to stop the development process of the country. In this backdrop, the question arises: how can Pakistan preserve and strengthen its national integration? Firstly, Pakistan needs to plan remedial measures so that its national security can be ensured through national integration. True democracy with the involvement of people of Pakistan is the binding force for national security and integration of this nation. There is a need for cultural co-existence resulting from cultural confluence and interaction. Any programme for national integration would pre-suppose the fact that Pakistan is a multi-cultural, multi-lingual, multi-sectarian and multi-ethnic nation-state and society. Its ethnicity can be transformed into a positive asset. Furthermore, education produces enlightened and informed leaders, advisors, think tanks and policymakers, who are capable of taking the country out of crisis. The element of good governance is another constituent component of making a proud and prosperous nation. A state’s machinery is required to provide good governance, ensuring the optimum functioning of state’s institutions especially those linked with provision of public services. A state’s internal peace and stability is the most important ingredient for nation building. A safe and secure country will provide a platform to all state’s institutions to flourish and perform their functions to their optimum capacity. All the institutions of Pakistan should have close linkage, especially political, economic and security, and complement each other through their internal institutional performance. The current dominant discourse on national security in Pakistan is based not only upon regional and international realities but also on the issues of identity, democracy and issues related to the social transformation of society. Pakistan is beset with numerous challenges, yet it offers many reasons to be optimistic about its future. The need for maintaining national unity is paramount as a number of elements are working to destabilise Pakistan. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, economic recovery, and military’s successful fight against militancy are some of the important factors for strengthening national unity. To conclude, it is commendable that despite its diversity, Pakistan is a united nation, which has always stood together in the face of many odds. However, national unity should not be taken for granted. It has to be nurtured with care and with continuous efforts. The factors that could serve as catalysts in the recipe of nation building are good governance, elimination of terrorism, provision of basic facilities and technological advancement through education. Today, Pakistan needs all these things more than ever before. National unity is only panacea for all problems. National unity is paramount at the time when the state is facing a variety of internal and external challenges. The writer is a freelance columnist