Pakistan's Security

Pakistan: Securing the Insecure State is an in-depth analysis of the contemporary security of Pakistan - now one of the most important states in the world in terms of international security.

The book attempts to identify and examine the means by which Pakistan might make progress towards a more stable and secure future. It is innovative in at least three respects. Firstly, it argues that Pakistan’s security issues are operative at multiple levels – intra-state, state, regional and international - and that these levels are deeply interlinked and should not be considered in isolation. The work thus explores and then links analysis of security at each level in a way that has not been done before.

Secondly, the book takes a broad approach to security that includes economic and social issues. As part of this, it examines security dynamics in relation to the powerful forces presently impacting South Asia, most notably globalisation, the US-led war on terrorism, the domestic clamour for peace and stability, and the strategic realignments underway -in particular, in the US-Indian-Pakistan relationship and in the China-India-Pakistan relationship.

Thirdly, the book draws on the 'Security Community' ideas of Deutsch. This theory argues that states can move their core strategic relationship towards a less conflictual and eventually stable and peaceful situation through economic, political and social interaction, as well as politico-military engagement.

This book will be of great interest to all scholars of South Asian politics, Asian regional security and IR in general.