Internal security is the source of strength of any country, which directly impacts her foreign relations, economy, political stability, military strength, national morale, and social values. On the contrary, a state that is internally vulnerable runs a high risk of disintegration, and history is replete with such states. Pakistan is presently passing through probably the worst time of her history. It is confronted with numerous internal and external challenges that are impacting on her national security spectrum. Every country needs a strong, viable and sustainable socio-economic variable for growth. Internal security requires harnessing and orchestrating all elements of national power to achieve the desired results and no single instrument can work, therefore political process backed up by effective force structures, supplemented by economic initiatives and cooperation of regional and international players operating in the area is the solution to the current crisis. Based on the contemporary challenges that Pakistan is facing this article examines the dynamics of internal security and associated challenges impacting the national security of Pakistan. This study makes a point that it’s not only the internal faultiness that punctures the systematic approach rather the global and regional political environment that causes perpetual instability. The research is deductive in nature and uses a mixed-method approach to provide remedial strategies.

The advent of nuclear weapons has brought into discussion the strands of strategic stability that initially occupied the Cold War rivals and later the neighboring states of South Asia. Both the Soviet Union and the United States due to distanced geography with that of settled strategic language have almost brought a positive tendency in crisis management and strategic stability. Contrary to Cold War rivals, the South Asian nuclear opponents have gone through a vulnerability of strategic miscalculation and crisis instability. That is why at most of their direct military stalemates, the US and Soviets had to jump in to defuse the crises. Moreover, Indian military modernization, deliberate maintenance of conventional asymmetry, application of sub-conventional warfare, state-sponsored terrorism, regional dominance and global aspirations interlinked with the containment of China under Indo-US strategic partnership has altogether shaped the contemporary discourse of strategic stability in South Asia. This study makes the point that the strands of strategic stability between the two regional powers of South Asia are tied to the complex web of the bilateral, regional and global framework. It is in this larger construct that strategic stability in South Asia can be best described. This study is deductive in nature and theoretically evaluates the notion of strategic stability paradigm to deconstruct the prevailing fault lines.

Pakistan is successfully fighting against militants in its tribal areas. The threat in tribal areas has complicated security situation. Many terrorist groups allegedly operate in FATA, e.g. Hafiz Gul Buhadur Group, Molvi Nazir Group, the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, and the Haqqani Network/ Afghan Taliban. The operation Zarb-I-Azb was a huge success. Pakistan’s army destroyed many IED Factories, dismantled training Centers of the Suicide Bombers run by different terrorist groups and TTP Run Media Centers, exposed detention centers of militants and recovered foreign currency during Operation Zarb-i-Azb. For long term peace and stability in tribal areas, the government must carry out reconstruction and development programs aon a large scale. There is a need to rebuild the capacity of the local population. Free education, rehabilitation and de-radicalization programs must be initiated to mainstream FATA youth.

In 2018 Pakistan as well as India participated for the first time as a full scale member of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) that held at Qingdao city of China on June 9-10. Obviously, that provided a brilliant opportunity to show willingness and readiness to contribute to the effectiveness of the SCO. Pakistan’s inclusion into the organization has opened a timely opportunity to bid for regional peace and economic prosperity for its nation. There are multiple arrangements which help Pakistan to come in the streamline as well as allow the Muslim state to support ongoing priority interests of the organization. Due to Pakistan’s membership many changes are expected in the domestic legislation and international commitments generated out of organizational common interest. Moreover, it will have great impact (but positive) on Islamabad’s traditional behavior towards regional and international politics particularly on the front of its foreign policy. This article makes the point that among many opportunities that Pakistan’s inclusion into SCO brings, there are few challenges for the country as well. For example, inclusion of Pakistan in the SCO is not an isolated decision; India was also given the full membership to join the organization as a permanent member. Traditionally, both Pakistan and India have zero tolerance for each other when it comes to their national security dynamics. Other than United Nations and SAARC, SCO is the third organization where both countries will be sitting together, though UN is quite a different one. Likewise, SAARC, if both the countries maintain the same status-quo of bashing each other, the very purpose of SCO will go in vain. Also, this article proposes that Pakistan shall not be allowed to label itself as a negative factor in the SCO. Therefore, this research paper has shed light on Pakistan’s previous inability to benefit from regional organizations while suggesting a way forward for her engagement with the SCO. Believing on the great potential of Pakistan and SCO, this paper has adopted deductive methodology with that of ‘economics defines politics’ as a conceptual framework.

This study makes the point that the 21st century is practicing non-kinetic warfare and nations vulnerable to it must overcome their weaknesses or be ready to get consumed. The world at large has witnessed a shift in the co-existence of relations among nations. Traditionally, an ally or the foe had a decisive place in the phenomenon of cooperation and competition, respectively. Realist tendencies and strategies to outcast the strengths of one’s enemy were straightforwardly applied. Military means including framing alliances were applied to squeeze the very possibility of response mechanism vested in the enemy’s defense lines. Contrary to this, those who fall in the vicinity of friendship orally, were to the best helped and taken along. This crafted the era of kineticism, where political affiliations with all its strengths and weaknesses were open and nations have clear manifestation to opt for the best side. This had been the case from First to Third Generations of warfare. Somehow, the Fourth Generation of warfare has faded away from the very distinction between an ally and foe. The discourse of ‘national interest’ in the 21st century has fed anxiety and distrust among nations. This study, therefore, is deductive in nature and has used the above analogy as a theoretical premise to decode the hypothetical assumption that there exists a context of non-kinetic warfare and both the US and Russia have entered into ‘maneuvered battlefield’. Secondary data with authors’ own reflections being a student of international politics has driven the analysis and findings.