Pakistan’s National Security Policy: An Analysis

Abstract

Pakistan announced its new national security policy, 2022-2026, on January 14, 2022. This article is written in the backdrop of Pakistan’s General elections 2018. As a result of which new government of Pakistan Tehrik-I insaf (PTI) has come into power. The new Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Ahmed Khan has promised a new Pakistan in his maiden speech by emphasizing the citizen’s rights to dignity, need for provision of services/ welfare by state, need for institutional and behavioral change with the supremacy of law. Apparently, Prime Minister’s first speech depicts that he is vowed to fulfil his promises which the nation and country faces both internally and externally yet things are different when one has the executive power and run the show. The new government has taken the command of the country at a time when it is amongst challenges and opportunities with regard to the issues of national security, foreign policy, its soaring relations with the US, India and Afghanistan. The article discusses Internal and external challenges of the country. It concludes with a ‘way forward approach’ that can be adopted for effective long-term national security policy together with national imperative.