Pakistan released its new national security policy which favors its rival India

The internal security policy objectives are “to ensure writ of the state in all parts of the country and to guarantee security of life and property of all citizens

Pakistan has released its National Security Policy 2022-2026, a document co-authored by the National Security Advisor Moeed Yusuf but acknowledging input from several government entities. The policy articulates what it sees as Pakistan’s vision and priorities and provides a detailed implementation framework.

About half the document was released to the public and the other half kept classified. The document emphasises economic security and says that traditional security is only a means to achieving economic prosperity. It speaks of health security, climate change and water stress, food security and gender security.

It refers to terrorism with these words: “the most acute form of efforts to undermine stability and national harmony of a society is terrorism."

The internal security policy objectives are “to ensure writ of the state in all parts of the country and to guarantee security of life and property of all citizens. Prioritise combatting terrorism, violent sub-nationalisms, extremism, sectarianism, and organised crime. Ensure Pakistan remains a secure destination for intellectual activity, businesses, investors, and visitors.”

Externally it says it will “seek regional peace through normalisation of relations in our immediate neighbourhood on the basis of mutual respect and sovereign equality."

Pakistan is on the threshold of change because of a corridor China is building connecting China with the Arabian Sea through Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. This will help connect Pakistan to Central Asia, especially if Afghanistan is stable.

Our government should be studying the document (and also trying to access those parts which are classified) to see if it needs responding to and whether our national security policy is affected by this.

Unfortunately, for this to happen we must first have a national security policy which we do not. Former general Prakash Menon has noted that, for several decades, India’s political guidance to the military had been oriented towards Pakistan as the immediate threat. But now that the Chinese threat was at the doorstep, this has changed.

The political objectives expected to be achieved by the military resided in a 2009 document called the ‘Raksha Mantri’s Directive’. That directive, Gen Menon wrote, "continues to lack parentage for the lack of a coherent National Security Strategy. The Defence Planning Committee, headed by the NSA, was assigned this task two years ago. Nothing has emerged so far.”

He adds that “in essence, the Directive is shaped by inputs not flowing from requisite logic and awareness. Only the adoption of and adherence to the dictates of a politico-strategic approach can provide the desired inputs.”

Pakistan has released its National Security Policy 2022-2026, a document co-authored by the National Security Advisor Moeed Yusuf but acknowledging input from several government entities. The policy articulates what it sees as Pakistan’s vision and priorities and provides a detailed implementation framework.

About half the document was released to the public and the other half kept classified. The document emphasises economic security and says that traditional security is only a means to achieving economic prosperity. It speaks of health security, climate change and water stress, food security and gender security.

It refers to terrorism with these words: “the most acute form of efforts to undermine stability and national harmony of a society is terrorism."

The internal security policy objectives are “to ensure writ of the state in all parts of the country and to guarantee security of life and property of all citizens. Prioritise combatting terrorism, violent sub-nationalisms, extremism, sectarianism, and organised crime. Ensure Pakistan remains a secure destination for intellectual activity, businesses, investors, and visitors.”

Externally it says it will “seek regional peace through normalisation of relations in our immediate neighbourhood on the basis of mutual respect and sovereign equality."

Pakistan is on the threshold of change because of a corridor China is building connecting China with the Arabian Sea through Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. This will help connect Pakistan to Central Asia, especially if Afghanistan is stable.

Our government should be studying the document (and also trying to access those parts which are classified) to see if it needs responding to and whether our national security policy is affected by this.

Unfortunately, for this to happen we must first have a national security policy which we do not. Former general Prakash Menon has noted that, for several decades, India’s political guidance to the military had been oriented towards Pakistan as the immediate threat. But now that the Chinese threat was at the doorstep, this has changed.

The political objectives expected to be achieved by the military resided in a 2009 document called the ‘Raksha Mantri’s Directive’. That directive, Gen Menon wrote, "continues to lack parentage for the lack of a coherent National Security Strategy. The Defence Planning Committee, headed by the NSA, was assigned this task two years ago. Nothing has emerged so far.”

He adds that “in essence, the Directive is shaped by inputs not flowing from requisite logic and awareness. Only the adoption of and adherence to the dictates of a politico-strategic approach can provide the desired inputs.”