Daily Times

In Part I of the same title, published in Daily Times on January 13, 2025, the traditional role of militaries in the developed and developing world was briefly discussed. However, in Part II, non-traditional military roles will be addressed, particularly regarding Pakistan’s military.

Ironically, many of my colleagues were surprised by my selection of this topic to write about in today’s political environment. However, my assessments are not time-bound, so I thought I must write on this vital subject, particularly for the benefit of my students.

In this short article, I will not highlight the Pakistan military’s sacrifices and contributions to internal security domains. Dealing with this menace has now become a norm for the armed forces, and other law enforcement agencies will follow. Also, I have placed the Pakistan military’s immense contributions to developing nuclear and missile forces, military diplomacy, and international peacekeeping missions among the much desired and essential services.

There is little doubt that the developed states have clearly defined the role of their militaries, and the institutions know how to interact in peace and war. Unfortunately, most powerful militaries worldwide are busy on overseas missions primarily to serve their so-called national interests as per the grand strategy of the Western bloc led by the US. However, many of the developing countries in South Asia and Africa are still called to do specific non-traditional work due to capacity issues of the civilian governments. Right or wrong is an ongoing debate and will not be considered in this short article.

One cannot ignore the great sacrifices of the workers building the Karakoram Highway (KKH), considered the Eighth Wonder of the World, along with Chinese co-workers.

Pakistan’s military has been employed in non-traditional alongside its traditional roles for a long time. Perhaps it will not be an overstatement that it has experience and expertise in all governance and administration domains. Interestingly, Pakistan’s military gets an invitation from the civilian governments to fill the capacity gaps that exist due to complacency and the incompetence of the elites who aspire to govern the country. Perhaps they find it easy to be in the chair but get the job done by others; a perfect definition of management – no wonder we have produced several able managers but not too many inspiring leaders.

Let’s begin with the notable contributions of Pakistan’s military in non-traditional roles (Pakistan’s military includes all three services led by the Army). Pakistan military’s services in the education and health sector are commendable.

The schools and hospitals were started to provide education and health to the children and families of the armed forces personnel in its cantonments, stations, and bases, primarily because these were located at remote places and the state could not provide these essential services at those locations.

These facilities kept expanding as the population and societal requirements grew over time. The primary schools grew to University levels, and dispensaries became huge hospitals. All these facilities were subsequently extended to the civilian population in rural and urban places.

Today, the Pakistan Armed Forces’ education and health facilities are regarded among the best in the country, and they have the much-needed self-sustenance to avoid overburdening the public fund.

Another significant contribution of Pakistan’s military is in the domain of infrastructure. It all started due to a lack of capacity among our domestic builders, primarily in the most rugged and difficult terrains, including the northern areas and the erstwhile tribal belts. One cannot ignore the great sacrifices of the workers building the Karakoram Highway (KKH), considered the Eighth Wonder of the World, along with Chinese co-workers. Likewise, the armed forces personnel initiated and completed several other infrastructure projects, including dams, bridges, and highways in the most security-challenging areas.

The three sectors mentioned above, education, health, and the development of critical infrastructure, stand out in the long list of Pakistan military’s engagements in non-traditional services.

Everything else, including the development of the housing sector, markets, dairy, fertilisers, agriculture etc, is avoidable. However, when one speaks to the military officials, they do have reasons to venture into commercial projects to raise funds to look after the families of the martyrs, those injured in the line of their duties and the retired personnel and their families.

The writer of this article has authored three international books: “Nuclear Deterrence and Conflict Management Between India and Pakistan” “South Asia Needs Hybrid Peace” and “Understanding Sun Tzu and the Art of Hybrid War.”