We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Pakistan's Security Quandary in the War Against Terrorism.
- Authors
Zain, Omar Farooq; Awan, Sajid Mahmood
- Abstract
Pakistan is encased in the corollaries which flow from the changes that have taken place since 9/11. As the edifice of world politics has been transformed in fundamental respects, following the U.S. attacks on Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan's tribal areas, the erstwhile international system of balance of power has also been replaced by preemptive strikes and the "War Against Terrorism" elsewhere in the world. Although, it is premature to predict with certainty about the upshot of this change in its regional or international dimensions, yet, one thing is for sure that this change is bringing about a disdain to the sovereignty of smaller countries. Particularly, Pakistan is facing a tenuous security situation as American drones are attacking its civilians in the tribal areas by violating its airspace on top of old smoky. On the other hand, armed militias of different outfits are clashing with governmental defense machinery not only in the tribal areas albeit urbanite settled areas too. According to foreign accounts, the security conditions in Pakistan have worsened very worryingly over the last couple of years and the country is more insecure than it had been during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Since, a friendly government in Afghanistan is one of the most important defining issues for Pakistan's security, domestic politics and strategic gains; hence, every political or strategic change in Afghanistan distresses internal dynamics of the politics in Pakistan. Pakistan's forgoing policy of supporting the Taliban regime was revised in the post 9/11 scenario; nonetheless a majority of western community suspects Pakistan's intentions in the ongoing War Against Terrorism. Ironically, Pakistan's contributions are not being acknowledged despite the heavy price it has paid. In this gloomy scenario, where the U.S. and NATO blueprints of domination of Afghanistan and adjacent territories, particularly, Central Asia, have been shattered, Pakistan has been left with minimum choices. Questions are being raised that in case Taliban manage to control Kabul again, would it be the beginning of an era of totalitarianism cloaked in religion? Or will an age of "new crusades" reshape the centre stage of global politics? Therefore, the discussion in this paper is an attempt to examine the pressure mounted by friends and foes on Pakistan in an environment where global changes have completely restructured the existing power equation in the world, giving new shape to national security.
- Subjects
PAKISTAN; TERRORISM; TERRORISM laws; SEPTEMBER 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001; STRATEGIC planning; PAKISTAN-United States relations; AFGHAN politics &; government
- Publication
Pakistan Journal of History & Culture, 2012, Vol 33, Issue 1, p71
- ISSN
1012-7682
- Publication type
Article