Unfortunately, Pakistan’s existence has never been accepted by its two neighbouring states, i.e., India to the east and Afghanistan to the west. The same two neighbours have been posing threats to Pakistan’s existence in the past and are still doing so, which has created a security dilemma for Pakistan. The origin of Pakistan’s security dilemma with India dates back to the carving of Pakistan out of British India in 1947. After the creation of Pakistan, Afghanistan opposed its membership at the UN, did not recognise Pakistan and refused to accept the Durand Line as an international border. Russian invasion and occupation of Afghanistan for a decade, followed by internal power rift among the Afghan warlords for a decade, then ISAF deployment led by the US for almost two decades, and their spillover effects on Pakistan, have made their relations further tense and erratic. The continuation of mistrust with both neighbours has paved the way to a security dilemma for Pakistan, which holds geopolitical consequences as well. Consequently, the endless sense of insecurity has severely affected the foreign and defence policies of Pakistan. Pakistan’s defence policy has shifted from a defensive posture to an offensive posture and has also started vigorously pursuing diplomatic channels.
The continuation of mistrust with both neighbours has paved the way to a security dilemma for Pakistan
Ironically, Afghanistan has proven to be a multifaceted and hostile neighbour for Pakistan. At the time of the Cold War, Afghanistan’s inclination towards India and the Russian-sponsored communist government in Kabul had created friction between the two neighbours. In the past, Pakistan has always viewed Afghanistan as its brotherly neighbouring Islamic state and never considered securing its western borders. The Taliban regime in Afghanistan took undue advantage of this porous border. They allowed TPP and other terrorist groups to cross the border freely by using cross-border sanctuaries to regroup and launch terrorist attacks inside Pakistan. Whereas the Taliban regime, being Indian proxies, is also supporting terrorism in KPK and Balochistan. This was purposely done and propagated on social media and mainstream electronic media of India and the Taliban to portray that Pakistan is under siege internally and externally.
Despite all the odd challenges, Pakistan’s armed forces and intelligence agencies have taken significant steps in combating terrorism. Pakistan’s armed forces, through intelligence-based operations, have not only successfully eradicated terrorism from its soil but also dismantled its hideouts. These coordinated efforts by all the stakeholders have started bearing results, where a decline in terrorist attacks has been significantly reduced in major cities of Pakistan. Pakistan’s devoted efforts in countering terrorism have also been acknowledged globally. The credit also goes to the common man of Pakistan, who equally faced the costs of terrorism and remained committed to its armed forces.
In the recent escalation with India, Pakistan’s armed forces have proved their vigilance and professional acumen. The embarrassment faced by the Indian government for its misadventure with Pakistan has brought huge humiliation at home as well as on the international stage. The Modi government learned the hard way that in conventional warfare, its army can not defeat Pakistan’s armed forces. India was left with no choice other than to escalate proxy warfare against Pakistan by funding the Taliban regime and TPP. It has been India’s desire to destabilise Pakistan by fueling insurgency in Balochistan, subverting GB and KPK through terrorist attacks. Pakistan has given enough concrete evidence of Indian proxies not only to India and the Taliban regime but also to the international community, and Kulbhushan Yadav is one of the living examples.
The security dilemma has always been one of the fundamental concerns of the South Asian region. Pakistan’s unstable bond with the Taliban regime, coupled with enduring enmity with India, alongside proxy wars, has the potential to fuel future conflict in the region. Now it is mandatory for Pakistan to strengthen border fencing and surveillance along the Afghan border, and it must devise a comprehensive policy for border crossing at checkpoints for legal trade and visa entry, like any other country in the world. Pakistan must repatriate all Afghan refugees to give a strong message to the Taliban that no more free meals will be served if you shed the blood of innocent people on our soil. Eventually, Pakistan’s existence in a volatile region hinges on its capability to manage its security dilemmas with its aggressive neighbours with resilience and strength.
At home, the Pakistani nation needs to unite and stand above all the internal political differences to meet the future challenges emerging from its eastern and western borders. It is time to reunite the nation and fuel the patriotism to support all our heroes by acknowledging their sacrifices given in the line of duty. We must support the government in its policies to develop Pakistan’s economy, as only a strong Pakistan can take independent decisions while reshaping its foreign policy. Our young generation and our diaspora abroad must not be a tool in the hands of our enemies on social media. Pakistan is our identity, which will remain forever.
The writer is a researcher.