Chasing the Mirage of Security Through Guns in Neo-liberal Pakistan: Implications for Human Security

Security is a hot as well as engaging topic in both academia and policy making domains. However, there is little consensus regarding its meaning and contour. It is different things to different people. Security has traditionally been defined and perceived in purely military terms and accordingly has been equated with to protect sovereignty and territorial integrity of a state from both internal threat and external aggression. This interpretation of security has been dominant in international relations during entire span of the Cold War. Nevertheless, last decade of the 20^th century saw a sea change in meaning of security. The concept of security was broadened to include non-conventional threats therefore a entirely new concept of security emerged that is known as human security. Traditional national security was regarded ineffective and inadequate to deal with non-conventional threats. Pakistan, on the contrary still perceived security in conventional terms. Perceiving security in purely military terms could not achieve desired outcome rather it has negatively affected security of Pakistan. This paper contends that Pakistan’s tryst with neo-liberal economic policies has added fuel to the fire. Pakistan’s adoption of neo-liberal economic policies and obsession with military security have made Pakistan more insecure than it was 70 years ago. This paper seek to explain how Pakistan’s obsession with military security to achieve security becomes a mirage and chasing this mirage of security has adversely affected security environment in Pakistan.