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Strategic Drift and Security Dilemmas of Pakistan

Miss Iqra Ali

Miss Iqra Ali, CSS GSA & Pakistan Affairs Coach, empowers aspirants expertly.

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6 August 2025

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This editorial offers a critical examination of Pakistan’s internal and external security challenges in the post-independence period. It explores how unresolved border disputes, militarized foreign policy, and internal fissures have contributed to national insecurity. The analysis highlights the consequences of over-reliance on defense-centric strategies at the expense of institution-building, regional cooperation, and social harmony. Furthermore, it assesses the implications of a security-first mindset on governance, federal cohesion, and diplomatic relations. The editorial concludes by urging a rebalancing of priorities to ensure long-term national stability and regional integration.

Strategic Drift and Security Dilemmas of Pakistan

A cohesive and functioning state rests on the strength of its foundations, and few figures in modern history exemplify the qualities of such foundational leadership more than Muhammad Ali Jinnah. In the wake of partition in 1947, Pakistan was not simply facing teething issues typical of a newly formed state, but rather it confronted a storm of structural, humanitarian, diplomatic, and financial crises. Amidst this landscape of uncertainty, Jinnah, as the Governor-General, steered the nascent country with remarkable foresight. He set into motion the administrative and political mechanisms that helped consolidate the country during its most fragile phase.

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When Pakistan emerged from the partition of British India, it inherited deep wounds and unresolved disputes. The refugee influx was staggering, resources were scarce, and the economy was largely agricultural with little industrial infrastructure. With the Indian government delaying the transfer of Pakistan's share of financial assets, the new state teetered on the edge. Yet Jinnah did not allow the gravity of these setbacks to overwhelm his mission. He took personal initiative in statecraft, providing a coherent framework of governance that emphasized central authority balanced with federal aspirations.

One of the most urgent tasks was rehabilitating millions of refugees who had crossed over from India, leaving behind their homes and livelihoods. The administrative capacity of the new state was stretched thin, yet Jinnah moved swiftly to prioritize humanitarian concerns. He established the Quaid-e-Azam Relief Fund in September 1947 to collect donations from domestic and international sources to support refugee rehabilitation efforts. This act of institution-building was not symbolic alone, but a practical response to an immense human crisis. His capacity to inspire collective resolve in the face of scarcity gave the new state its initial moral and administrative anchor.

Beyond crisis management, Jinnah focused on institutional consolidation. His speeches and actions reflected a vision where civil and military institutions functioned under the authority of the elected government. In a historic address to military officers at Quetta on June 14, 1948, Jinnah emphasized that the armed forces must remain apolitical and serve only the state, not any political party or ideology. This statement underlined his determination to entrench civilian supremacy over the military, a principle that many post-colonial states struggled to enforce. His engagement with the civil service was equally resolute, stressing meritocracy and neutrality in bureaucratic appointments. These foundations helped establish a governance culture, albeit one later contested by authoritarian interludes.

In addition to administrative reform, Jinnah addressed the challenge of national integration. With provinces deeply rooted in ethnic, linguistic, and cultural distinctions, national unity was fragile. His decision to declare Urdu as the national language sparked controversies in East Pakistan, but Jinnah viewed linguistic unification as a means to develop a coherent identity. He proclaimed in Dhaka in 1948 that Urdu would be the only national language of Pakistan, a declaration aimed at forging unity through a shared medium of communication. Though this decision remains debated, it reveals his urgent desire to bring disparate regions into a single national fold. At the same time, he advocated religious tolerance and inter-communal harmony, which he eloquently stated in his speech on August 11, 1947, by affirming the freedom of religion and belief for all citizens of Pakistan.

On the international front, Jinnah also moved to secure Pakistan's place in the global community. Diplomatic recognition and external legitimacy were vital for a country facing internal disorder and hostile borders. He prioritized recognition from major powers and sought membership in international organizations. Pakistan was admitted as a member of the United Nations on September 30, 1947, solidifying its status in the comity of nations and providing it a diplomatic platform to advocate its positions, particularly on Kashmir and relations with India. Jinnah’s vision for foreign policy remained rooted in neutrality and peace, yet he underscored Pakistan's solidarity with the broader Muslim world. This balance between Islamic identity and international engagement became a defining feature of early Pakistani diplomacy.

Even in his last days, battling illness, Jinnah did not withdraw from the responsibilities of statecraft. He visited refugee camps, chaired cabinet meetings, and remained actively involved in policy decisions. His charismatic authority lent credibility to the fledgling institutions of Pakistan. He was not merely a figurehead but the central force in state consolidation. His leadership style, often austere and principle-driven, proved to be a unifying force amidst the disarray of post-partition trauma.

Although Jinnah did not live long enough to see the full consequences of his policies, the framework he established allowed Pakistan to survive its formative decade. Later political crises, civil-military tensions, and ethnic movements all reflect deviations from or failures to uphold the early vision he laid out. Nevertheless, the foundations he constructed offered the country a launchpad. The legal continuity of the state, its functional institutions, and the idea of a federal yet integrated republic were all part of Jinnah’s legacy.

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In retrospect, Jinnah’s consolidation of Pakistan was not just about crisis management or symbolism. It involved a careful combination of administrative decision-making, moral authority, and constitutional foresight. His understanding of statehood, unlike many post-colonial leaders, was not limited to charismatic mobilization but was rooted in procedural governance. The long-term viability of Pakistan owed much to the calm decisiveness with which Jinnah approached his duties in those early months.

By emphasizing civilian control, institutional functionality, social cohesion, and international recognition, Jinnah acted as the singular force guiding Pakistan through uncharted waters. His role in the foundational years of Pakistan remains central to understanding how the state survived, functioned, and evolved in its early stages. Where later leaders struggled with ideological ambiguity or political instability, Jinnah operated with clarity and purpose. It is this leadership, unyielding in vision and grounded in pragmatism, that remains a benchmark against which all subsequent phases of Pakistani governance can be measured.

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6 August 2025

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Miss Iqra Ali

MPhil Political Science

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Miss Iqra Ali

GSA & Pakistan Affairs Coach

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