From Traditional to Humane Security Challenges —

Analysing Pakistan’s Response to the Poly Crisis of Covid 19

Salma Malik*

Abstract

For Pakistan coping with the Covid-19 pandemic, came as a polycrises

coupled with critical concerns including climate change and challenged
governance indicators. Characteristic of a polycrisis, human lives were
not the only casualty, grappling with an economic crisis marked by slow
growth, high inflation and rising debt, the pandemic could not have hit
Pakistan at a worst time. The comity of nations, comprising the most
powerful and mighty to the least developed stood equally challenged and
affected by this pandemic. Where there was a rush in the scientific
community across the globe to discover at the earliest a viable cure for
this virus, the pandemic brought home several sobering realisations with
regards to revisiting the notion of security, the level of preparedness by
the contemporary state in addressing multiple challenges and response to
threat convergence. Through this paper an attempt is made to examine the
impact and consequence of rising non-traditional threats, such as the
COVID-19 pandemic. The paper will further review what necessitated the
early thinkers on seeking an alternative discourse on security, once
realising that the classic and traditional perspective on security is no
longer sufficient to answer what are now being termed faced by the state
actors. Lastly, what measures and policies can be undertaken by the state
at various levels of governance to incorporate and effectively deal with
nontraditional security measures at a sustained level.

Keywords: Covid -19, SDGs, NCOC, Pandemic, Poly Crisis, New

Normal, Humane Security, WHO.

*
The author is Associate Professor, Department of Defence & Strategic Studies,
Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan. Email: salmamalik@qau.edu.pk

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Strategic Studies: Vol.44, No.1

Introduction

The world that its inhabitants comfortably knew, altered drastically as of

December 2019 with the outbreak of a new strain of Corona virus in the
Chinese city of Wuhan. Claiming a sizeable number of lives all across
the country, this novel strain of the corona virus, nomenclatured the
COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease 2019) fast surged beyond China and
by March 11th, 2020 it was termed as pandemic by the World Health
Organization1 (WHO) due to its rapid spread and transmission that has
affected hundreds of thousands of lives in more than a hundred
countries. 2 Within six months since the outbreak, by the end of May
2020, the total affected worldwide were close to the staggering figure of
234,093,937 with more than four million fatalities recorded. 3 In four
years, the virus has claimed more than seven million lives. 4 Where at one
hand, respiratory outbreaks and localised pandemics by no means are a
new occurrence, as in the last two plus decades alone, the world has
faced major viral outbreaks including the Ebola, 5 Congo fever,6 Swine
flu, 7 the highly pathogenic H5N1Avian flu, 8 as well other strains of

1
“WHO Director-General’s Opening Remarks at the Media Briefing on COVID-19
- 11 March 2020,” World Health Organisation,
https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-
the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020 .
2
“WHO Director-General’s Opening Remarks,” World Health Organisation.
3
“Coronavirus Update (Live): 234,093,937 Cases and 4,788,7251 deaths,”
Worldometer, https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus, Updated till April 13,
2024.
4
“Coronavirus Update (Live).”
5
A rare but severe and often fatal illness initially transmitted zoonoticallyEbola Virus
Disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, has an average fatality
rate of around 50%. The EVD first appeared in 1976 in West Africa with 2
simultaneous outbreaks. Source: “Ebola virus disease,” World Health Organisation,
February 10, 2020, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ebola-virus-
disease,
6
The Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) known as the Congo Fever, is a
disease caused by a tick-borne virus, and carries a 10-40 per cent. case fatality rate.
More rampant in Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East, and certain Asian countries.
Source: “Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever,” World Health Organisation,
January 31, 2013, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/crimean-
congo-haemorrhagic-fever.
7
“Swine influenza,” is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza
viruses that regularly cause outbreaks of influenza in pigs. A variant of this
Influenza virus H3N2 was first discovered in 2009 in humans and has been a cause

2
 From Traditional to Humane Security Challenges

corona virus such as the SARS,9 MERS, commonly known as the Camel
flu,10 with some having spillover zoonotic capacity to inflict humans and
other species. But what made the COVID-19 (C-19) worrisome was its
fast-spreading nature, easy and rapid transmission via human-to-human
contact, and in some rare cases cross-species transmission,11 its ability to
remain airborne or active on surfaces and for hours, and a longer
incubation period.12

In its surge across the globe, this pandemic left no person invulnerable.
A true poly crisis in its nature and impact, as the comity of nations,

of death in at least 12 states of the USA. Source: “Situation Summary on Influenza

A (H3N2) Variant Viruses (“H3N2v”),” Centers For Disease Control & Prevention,
August 03, 2016, https://www.cdc.gov/flu/swineflu/h3n2v-situation.htm
8
The Avian Flu is an Asian highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A (H5N1)
virus that mainly occurs in and is highly contagious among birds. The virus was first
detected in 1996 in geese in China, and in humans in year 1997. Had a widespread
re-emergence in 2003 and rare, sporadic human infections with this virus have been
reported in Asia, and later in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Human infections
with Asian H5N1 viruses have been associated with severe disease and death.
Centers For Disease Control & Prevention, December 12, 2018,
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/h5n1-virus.htm
9
SARS coronavirus, also known as SARS-CoV, is a virus which can cause severe acute
respiratory syndrome (SARS). SARS coronavirus belongs to a family of enveloped
single-stranded, positive-sense RNA viruses, and so far, there were seven known human
coronaviruses: HCoV-229E, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-229E, HCoV-OC43, SARS-CoV,
HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-HKU1, the current pandemic being a recent one. The SARS-
CoVoutbreak caused an atypical pneumonia that spread rapidly throughout parts of Asia,
North America, and Europe during 2002-2003. Source: Sino Biological,
https://www.sinobiological.com/research/virus/sars-coronavirus-overview
10
The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) or commonly
referred to as Camel Flu, was first discovered in the summer of 2012, in Jeddah, in a
patient with acute pneumonia and renal failure. There are no specific treatments for
illnesses caused by the MERS-COV, and between September 2012 to June 2013, the
WHO confirmed 40 deaths. Sino Biological,
https://www.sinobiological.com/research/virus/mers-cov-overview
11
Cross-Species Virus Transmission, primarily implies the occurrence of human
diseases when an established animal virus switches hosts into humans and is
subsequently transmitted within human populations. Source: Colin R. Parrish,
Edward C. Holmes, et. al, “Cross-Species Virus Transmission and the Emergence of
New Epidemic Diseases,” Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, vol. 72,
no. 03 (September 2008): 457.
12
“COVID-19: How does Coronavirus Compare to other Outbreaks?,” Future
Learn, March 10, 2020, https://www.futurelearn.com/info/blog/covid-19-how-does-
coronavirus-compare-to-other-outbreaks

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Strategic Studies: Vol.44, No.1

comprising the most powerful and mighty to the least developed stood
equally challenged and affected by this pandemic. Where there was
witnessed a rush in the scientific community across the globe to discover
at the earliest a viable cure for this virus, finally resulting in Vaccine
Diplomacy, 13 the pandemic brought home several sobering realisations
with regards to revisiting the notion of security, the level of preparedness
by the contemporary state in addressing the challenges posed by such poly
crises and response to the threat convergence. Additionally, giving rise to
the question, whether all countries stood uniformly affected by the fallout
of these developments or there is a difference between states’ responses.

Through this paper an attempt is made to examine the impact and

consequence of rising non-traditional threats, such as the COVID-19
pandemic. The paper will further review what necessitated the early
thinkers on seeking an alternative discourse on security, once realizing that
the classic and traditional perspective on security is no longer sufficient to
answer what are now being termed faced by the state actors. Lastly, what
measures and policies can be undertaken by the state at various levels of
governance to incorporate and effectively deal with non-traditional
security measures at a sustained level. Coupled with traditional conflicts,
poverty, poor governance, rising ultra-nationalism, these non-traditional
threats manifest a systemic inter-connectedness that carries multipronged
challenges for the global security dynamics. This inter-complexity and
interconnectedness of multifaceted threats referred to as Perma Crises or
Poly Crises14 are testing and taxing states’ comprehension, capacity and
response.

Poly Crisis As the New Normal

Why are the contemporary security challenges being termed polycrisis?

Is this a new normal for viewing the multitude of threats faced by global

13
“Vaccine Diplomacy Boosts Russia’s and China’s Global Standing,” The
Economist, April 29, 2021. https://www.economist.com/graphic-
detail/2021/04/29/vaccine-diplomacy-boosts-russias-and-chinas-global-standing
14
The term was first coined in the 1970s by Complexity theorist, Edgar Morin who
in a 1999 book authored with Anne Brigitte Kern, Homeland Earth, explained it as a
complex inter-solidarity of problems, antagonisms, uncontrolled processes, and
general crisis of the planet.

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 From Traditional to Humane Security Challenges

actors? The term Polycrisis finds its origin in the works of French
Complexity Theorist, Edgar Morin in the 1970s which was later
elaborated in his co-authored volume Homeland Earth 15 published in
1999. Morin & Kern stated that the most ‘vital’ problem of the day was
not any single threat but the ‘complex inter-solidarity of problems,
antagonisms, crises, uncontrollable processes and the general crisis of
the planet.” 16

Morin in a recent article refers to the lethal strife resulting from the
Palestinian carnage and Ukrainian war as Midnight in the Century, and
states,” with an increasing number of wars, climate change and the rise of
authoritarian regimes, the world may be heading for disaster, but we must
resist hatred. These crises are feeding on each other in a kind of
environmental, economic, political, social and civilisational polycrisis that is
growing in magnitude.”17 Morin’s term of Polycrisis has increasingly been
used by later authors, who seek to comprehend and resolve the crises
confronting the contemporary world which Albert states are, “ not simply a
climate crisis, nor simply a collection of numerous isolatable problems that
can be studied by separate disciplines, but rather a “polycrisis” or nexus of
reciprocally entwined crises characterised by complex feedback loops,
blurred boundaries, cascade effects and (in many cases) mutual
amplification.”18

15
Edgar Morin and Anee Brigitte Kern, Homeland Earth: A Manifesto for the New
Millennium – Advances in Systems Theory, Complexity, and the Human Sciences
(London: Hampton Press, 1999).
16
Morin and Kern, Homeland Earth, 74.
17
Edgar Morin, “‘Faced with the polycrisis Humanity is Going Through, the First
Resistance is that of the Spirit’,” Le Monde, January 24, 2024.
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/opinion/article/2024/01/24/edgar-morin-faced-with-the-
polycrisis-humanity-is-going-through-the-first-resistance-is-that-of-the-
spirit_6460205_23.html
18
Micheal J Albert, Navigating the Polycrisis Mapping the Futures of Capitalism
and the Earth,” (Mass: MIT Press, 2024), 02.

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Strategic Studies: Vol.44, No.1

Diagram No.1

Source: World Economic Forum, Global Risks Perception Survey 2022-2023,

https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-risks-report-2023/

Beckman describes polycrisis as “the circumstance where multiple

discrete and overlapping shocks impact a system.” 19 He further states
that,

“A poly-crisis can exist at the international, national, regional or local

level. These crises drain budgets, test the patience of our constituents,
place greater demands on staff, require instantaneous communication
and public messaging, and necessitate the coordination and
collaboration of a more complex set of public and private sector
partners.”20

Whereas Lawrence, Dixon, Janzwood etal describe this term by

studying “the causal entanglement of crises in multiple global systems in
ways that significantly degrade humanity’s prospects.21 Mark Swilling in
a 2013 article describes the term as, “a nested set of globally interactive

19
Luke Beckman, “Navigating Poly-crisis: The New Reality for Crisis Management
in the United States,” Paper, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs,
Harvard Kennedy School, June 2023.
20
Beckman, “Navigating Poly-crisis.”
21
Micheal Lawrence et al., “Global Polycrisis: The Causal Mechanisms of Crisis
Etanglement,” Global Sustainability7, e 6, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1017/sus.2024.1

6
 From Traditional to Humane Security Challenges

socio-economic, ecological and cultural-institutional crises that defy

reduction to a single cause.” 22 Lastly, Adam Tooze states, “if you’ve
been feeling confused and as though everything is impacting on you all
at the same time, this is not a personal, private experience, … This is
actually a collective experience…. And it has a name Polycrisis.”23

To tackle such polycrises, the need is to comprehend the intra-

systemic as well as inter systemic 24 impacts, focusing on crises both
within as well as across our systems. Sensitisation towards emerging
threats and their growing interconnectedness as raised by Morin and
others cited above, also resonated through the works of economists and
likeminded intelligentsia who later were the proponents of Alternate or
Human Security framework. The emphasis was on creating a sustainable,
equitable and strong world order that stands resilient to such future
occurrences.

From Classic to Humane Security Alternatives

As early as the 1960s at the height of the Cold war, the realisation that
viewing security from the traditional militaristic lens alone is insufficient
had been felt. Furthermore, the state’s classical role as the net provider, as
well as its capacity to adequately address multifarious challenges to
security were deemed unilateralist, insufficient and limited. Initiatives
such as the Club of Rome,25 the World Order Models Project26 of 1966,

22
Mark Swilling, “Economic Crisis, Long Waves and the Sustainability Transition:
An African Perspective,” Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, vol 06
(March 2013): 96-115.
23
Kate Whiting and Hyojin Park, “ This is Why “Polycrises” is a Useful Way of
Looking at the World Right Now,” World Economic Forum, March 7, 2023,
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/03/polycrisis-adam-tooze-historian-
explains/
24
Lawrence, Homer Dixon et al.,3.
25
Founded in 1968 the Club of Rome was created at Accademia deiLincei in Rome,
Italy. Comprising current and former heads of state, UN bureaucrats, high-level
politicians and government officials, diplomats, scientists, economists, and business
leaders from around the globe, this consortium was meant to address and seek
comprehensive solutions to multiple crises facing humanity and the planet. Source:
“About The Club of Rome,” Home Page The Club of Rome,
https://clubofrome.org/about-us/

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Strategic Studies: Vol.44, No.1

later to be followed by reports by independent commissions such as

Barndt Commission’s North South Report (1980)27 , a follow up report,
The Common Crisis 28 and the complimentary Palme Commission’s
Common Security Report 29 set the tone for an alternate perspective on
security which would be comprehensive and humane in nature. These
consortiums and reports not only focused on the need to invest on
sustainable economy but recognised and raised awareness about issues
such as poverty, hunger, ill-health, environmental degradation and
pollution, resource depletion as well as criminality that have affected
countries indiscriminately. As per this perspective, unless there is a global
effort by all states concerned, regardless of their economic or political
power to join hands and address the common afflictions with equity,
justice and empathy, the world with its finite capacity will start declining
and the resulting chaos will be a threat for human survival.

The Club of Rome was founded in April 1968 as a consortium of

likeminded scientists, thinkers, industrialist as well as organisations, who
were profoundly concerned with the long-term consequences of
unbridled economic and industrial activity, resource depletion and

26
The World Order Models Project (WOMP) was established in 1966 as a network
of scholars, intellectuals, political figures, and community-based social activists
from various regions worldwide engaged in the promotion of a just world peace,
economic well-being, social justice, ecological balance, and positive identity.Union
of International Associations, Open Yearbook, https://uia.org/s/or/en/1100015025
27
The North-South Report was published by the Independent Commission on
International Development Issues ─ an initiative of the World Bank, commonly
known as the Brandt Commission, named after its head the former Chancellor of
Germany, Willy Brandt, set up in 1977. The report brought forth a set of
recommendations for the reform and restructuring of the world economic system
around the principles of equity, fair balance and mutual benefit, most essential
aspects essential to avoid the ‘threat to human survival posed by the threatening
chaos in the world economy.’ For Details: The Independent Commission on
International Development Issues, North-South, A Programme for Survival,
Washington DC: Pan World Affairs, 1980.
28
Brandt Commission, Common Crisis. North-SouthCooperation for World
Recovery (London: Pan Books, 1983).
29
Known commonly as Palme Commission, after its headthe Swedish Prime
Minister Olaf Palme, the Common Security Report sought arms limitation and
disarmament through negotiation and dialogue amongst the major state actorsover a
period of twenty years. For Details: The Independent Commission on Disarmament
and Security Issues, Common Security: A Programme for Disarmament (London:
Pan Books, 1982).

8
 From Traditional to Humane Security Challenges

environmental pollution and degradation, poverty, criminality and

endemic ill-health. The organisation was based on three core ideas that
remain consistent to date; a global and long-term perspective, the
concept of “problematique,” and comprehending a cluster of intertwined
global predicaments whether economic, environmental, political, or
social in nature.30

Its lead publication in 1972, a report titled The Limits of Growth,31 and
an earlier, less mentioned study by select members of this Club, The
Predicament of Mankind ─ Quest for Structured Responses to Growing
Worldwide Complexities and Uncertainties, explored the impact of
exponential economic and population growth on a world which holds
finite supply of resources. Drawing some alarming conclusions and
timelines, it predicted the peak capacity of production, food growth,
industrial capacity, and services to the initial three decades of the 21st
century to be followed by a “sudden, rapid and uncontrollable decline.”32
Unless the growth trends are altered so that sustainable ecological and
economic stability could be achieved. Receiving its share of appreciation
as well as criticism 33 for being over simplistic, idealistic, and drawing
incorrect assumptions, 34 it is still considered a groundbreaking study
which has “withstood the test of time and, indeed, has only become more
relevant.”35

Published in the late 1960s and early 1970s, these initial documents
paved the path for an alternative perspective on security. As mentioned
earlier the Limits of Growth report was followed in the 1980s by the

30
The Club of Rome, The Predicament of Mankind ─ Quest for Structured Responses
to Growing Worldwide Complexities and Uncertainties A Proposal, 1970.
31
H Donella, Dennis L Meadows, Jørgen Randers, W William, The Limits to
Growth; A Report for the Club of Rome’s Project on the Predicament of Mankind
(New York: Universe Books,1972).
32
Debora Mackenzie, “Boom and Doom: Revisiting Prophecies of Collapse,” New
Scientist. January 04, 2012, https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21328462-100-
boom-and-doom-revisiting-prophecies-of-collapse/,
33
J. Farley, “Limits to Growth,” in J. B. Callicott and R. Frodeman (Eds.)
Encyclopaedia of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy (MI: Macmillan Reference,
2008): 45-47.
34
H. S. D. Cole; Christopher Freeman, et.al., eds., Models of Doom: A Critique of
the Limits to Growth (Universe Publishing, 1973).
35
Peet Jørgen Stig, Ragnarsdóttir John, Vala Kristín, “The History of The Limits to
Growth,” The Solutions Journal,vol. 1, no. 2 (March 2010): 59-63.

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Strategic Studies: Vol.44, No.1

World Bank led initiative the Brandt Commission as well as the Palme
Commission, both of which served as a strong voice for seeking alternative
solutions to non-traditional challenges to world security. The Brandt
Commission’s North South Report stressed upon grass-root problem
solving approach to be adopted by state actors to empathetically
comprehend global challenges. It further sought equitable sharing of world
resources coupled with social justice and the willingness on part of
stronger state actors to be more considerate and accommodating, to ensure
lasting peace and bring an end to world’s miseries. Amongst the group of
leading experts who contributed to the Brandt Commission and its reports
was the (late) Dr. Mahbub ul Haq an International development theorist
and leading economist from Pakistan. Dr. Haq’s 1978 study The Poverty
Curtain 36 on allocation of more resources towards poverty alleviation,
nutrition, and other social sectors, set the basis of his groundbreaking work
on Human Security and devising of the Human Development Index.
Another perspective on Human Security was by Canadian experts and
government that spearheaded the Middle Powers’ Initiative.

Haq in the seminal document, New Approaches to Human Security,37

sought a transformation in thinking and changing mindsets from the
traditional, classic notion of security to a more humane and person-
centric approach which would be much broader, comprehensive, and
universalistic in approach.

“The concept of security has for too long been interpreted narrowly:
as security of territory from external aggression, or as protection of
national interests in foreign policy or as global security from the
threat of a nuclear holocaust. It has been related more to nation-states
than to people.

In the final analysis, human security is a child who did not die, a
disease that did not spread, a job that was not cut, an ethnic tension
that did not explode in violence, a dissident who was not silenced.
Human security is not a concern with weapons ─ it is a concern with
human life and dignity.” 38

36
Mahbub ul Haq, The Poverty Curtain: Choices for the Third World (New York:
Columbia University Press, 1976).
37
United Nations Development Programme, “New Dimensions of Human
Security,” Human Development Report 1994 (New York: Oxford University Press,
1994 ): 22-44.
38
Haq, Human Development Report, 22.

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 From Traditional to Humane Security Challenges

As per this perspective, the emphasis was on prioritising the

alternative vision of security, investing human capital and resource in
realising this perspective, in order to ensure the safety and well-being of
“all the people everywhere ─ in their homes, in their jobs, in their streets,
in their communities, in their environment.” 39 For Haq, to reach this
purpose, five fundamentals needed to be realised: an equity-based
sustainable human development conception that entails major
restructuring of world’s income, consumption, and lifestyle patterns,
reduction in military expenditure, with conversion of military aid to
economic, a just and equitable relationship between the developed,
developing to the underdeveloped and underprivileged states,
restructuring of global economic and development institutions, that
would deal with every aspect confronting humanity and lastly, the
evolution of a global civil society, based on democratic norms and
grassroots participation.40

Haq’s proposal seemed idealistic and even after a quarter of a

century has still not been fruited. Amongst few of the reasons for this
perpetuity is the stronghold of state as the fundamental actor in global
political order which has withstood and managed to resist an
institutionally dominated system as well as a human centric society. As a
result, the middle powers’ approach led by Canada although similar to
the UNDP’s approach, evolved more pragmatically, as where it stressed
on “the safety of the individual ─ that is, human has become a new
measure of global security,… where in “[S]ecurity between states
remains a necessary condition for the security of people.”41

Covid 19 and Revisiting Security Discourse

The end of the Cold War could have brought about a change in
international politics, from a traditional security dominated state-based

39
Mahbub ul Haq, “New Imperatives of Human Security,” RGICS Paper No. 17,
Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies (RGICS), Rajiv Gandhi
Foundation, New Delhi, 1994, 1.
40
Haq, New Imperatives, 3-17.
41
“Human Security: Safety for People in a Changing World,” a paper prepared by the
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, (DFAIT) Government of
Canada. http://www.dfait.maeci.gc.ca/foreignp/HumanSecurity/secur-e.htm, p. 1.

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Strategic Studies: Vol.44, No.1

system and discourse to a more humane institution’ dominated people

centric system. Yet as stated earlier the New World Order also saw the
state asserting itself more powerfully as a dominant actor. Despite the
fact that state still remains the main referent object, the Covid 19 global
pandemic and overarching effects of climate change has brought forth
several such changes:

 Firstly, despite a well-articulated and incorporated alternative

perspective, the world in its feverish pursuit of traditional means
of security has grossly overlooked and disregarded the most
immediate and personal, i.e., security of the common citizen.

 Secondly, despite having globally pledged to introduce and

institutionalise better and humane governance parameters, the
latest being the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),42 in the
face of the pandemic not a single country can today confidently
claim strong and viable health care and health security indicators.
As the number of deaths as well as diseased surged by the day,
the pandemic laid bare the lack of focus, preparedness as well as
investment by every country on healthcare, individual security
and well being.

 Thirdly, it also gave rise to a poignant reality, that any amount of

traditional military preparedness today stands insufficient and
irrelevant in the face of such nontraditional threats to mankind,
which are increasingly becoming a reality and not a work of
fiction. Issues such as this pandemic or effects of climate change

42
After intense deliberation in September 2015 the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development was adopted by all United Nations Member States at the UN Sustainable
Development Summit, as a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the
planet, now and into the future. The agenda consists of 17 Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs), to be adopted and implemented by all member states, binding them in a
global partnership, to 1. end poverty, 2. Hunger, 3. Promote good health and wellbeing,
4 Quality Education, 5. Gender Equality, 6. Clean Water, Sanitation, 7. Clean,
Affordable Energy, 8. Decent work and Economic Growth, 9. Industrial, infrastructural
growth and innovation, 10. Reduced Inequalities, 11. Sustainable communities and
cities, 12. Responsible Consumption, 13. Climate change, 14/15. Quality of Life, 16.
Peace & justice, and lastly, sustainable partnership. Source: “Sustainable Development
Goals Knowledge Platform,” United Nations Organisation,
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300

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 From Traditional to Humane Security Challenges

have a global impact, regardless of their point of initiation, or the

level of industrial and fiscal progression of a country.

 Most importantly, being Polycrises ─ these threats may not be

considered mutually exclusive, as there is a greater threat
convergence between these rising human insecurities. Climate
change, pandemics and disease outbreaks, locust infestation, along
with challenges of terrorism, civil war, state authoritarianism is
putting greater pressure on the states’ capacity to face and respond
and for many, these multiple threats are leading from state fragility
to failure.

 Furthermore, such occurrences test the resilience, limits, and

degree to which the contemporary state can respond, mobilize,
and deal with multiplicity of threats. These threats require a
totally different set of tools and means to preempt and prevent.
The fundamental challenge before the contemporary state is to
ascertain the critical components required to respond to this
threat convergence.

 The question thus arises, should the state respond to these rising
challenges individually or seek a collective route? Much of this
depends on the capabilities, technical advancement, socio-economic
and governance profile of the countries concerned. Are the
respondent states sufficiently self-reliant? Are they equipped with
early warning systems and means to preempt and protect themselves
from these rising threats? Belonging to different political cultures
and societal attitudes, do they possess adeptness for change,
scientific progression, the mindset, and the ability to mate tradition
with science to explore new boundaries, or conveniently remain
wedded to conspiracies and faith-based explanations.

 Unfortunately, while the pandemic has been indiscriminate in its

spread and countries worldwide have been drastically affected
despite their state of development, the differential between how
individual states is impacted by the pandemic remains wide and will
worsen with time. Giving rise to new Global Haves and Have-nots,
where countries such as Australia and New Zealand with scarce
population managed to completely control the virus (though, there is

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Strategic Studies: Vol.44, No.1

a resurgence and setback for them), for densely populated countries,

living under abject poverty such as many African states, where
getting water for daily consumption is a struggle, maintaining social
distance, or extreme hygiene protocols are fantasy talk. The reason
many have shown low exposure rates to the pandemic is attributed
to the fact that they don’t have access to testing kits and apparatus
for the pandemic. Furthermore, for countries facing conflict, there is
little choice available to the war affected people ─ death by violent
means or from the pandemic.

 Furthermore, this global divide is also manifest in the availability

provision and acceptability of the ‘Anti-Covid Vaccine.’ A deep
divide between the U.S.-led Western lobby and China-Russia
bloc had become an unnecessary moot point,43 which affected the
wellbeing of global citizens.

 Lastly, for countries such as Pakistan, which ordinarily have a

modest to low performance indicators, on human development or
governance indices, 44 these non-traditional threats imply
multilayered challenges that span from the immediate to long
term consequences.

Pandemic & Threat Convergence: Challenges for Pakistan’s

State Capacity

Pakistan stands at the middle tier in terms of human development

globally, with a Human Development Index (HDI) valued at 0.560 for

43
Yen Nee Lee, “The U.S. Will be a ‘Formidable Competitor’ to China in Covid
Vaccine Diplomacy,” CNBC, Thursday June 10, 2021,
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/10/covid-expert-on-us-china-competition-in-
vaccine-diplomacy.html
44
Pakistan ranks 152 out of 189 countries and territories on the Human
Development Index for the year 2018, with an HDI value as 0.560 — it places the
country in the medium human development category. As per the year 2019 Annual
Human Development Report, Pakistan’s HDI value increased by 38.6 % from 0.404
to 0.560 between the years 1990 and 2018. Source: United Nations Development
Programme, Human Development Report 2019. Beyond Income, Beyond Averages,
Beyond Today: Inequalities in Human Development in the 21st Century, New York:
UNDP, 2019, 352.

14
 From Traditional to Humane Security Challenges

the year 2018 to 0.540 for the year 2024. 45 Slipping from a ranking of
152 out of 189 countries and territories in 2018 to 161. 46 In case of
Pakistan, where governments past and present have sought to focus on
human security, sustainable development, and governance ─ these have
been generally relegated as low priority given the country’s pre-
occupation with traditional security challenges emanating from its
immediate neighborhood. When the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) came into force, the government of the time immediately
incorporated them in the country’s National Development Agenda 2030,
through a unanimous National Assembly Resolution in 2016. Thereby,
becoming the first in the region to be much ahead of other countries and
regional actors joining the programme. However, despite this early
promising start, Pakistan’s performance can at best be rated between
stagnant to moderate paced. It scored 57.7 under SDGs’ global index
against a better regional average of 65.7 and stood 129 out of 165
countries in the overall performance ranking for the year 2021. 47 A
slightly better performance than the previous years, however, except for
Afghanistan, whose score was 53.9, all the other regional countries,
showed better performance indicators.48

The government of the day held health and nutrition as one of the key
agenda during its election campaign. Once elected, this election promise
was actualised through several institutional measures, which alongside
reforms in the health sector, led to nationwide health coverage for the
under privileged through what has been labelled as the Sehat Sahulat
scheme. There has also been incorporated, a centralised integrated disease
surveillance system and strong inter-provincial information sharing
mechanism. 49 These measures and the commitment to fulfil the SDGs

45
United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Report 2023-24.
Breaking the Gridlock: Reimagining Cooperation in a Polarized World, New York:
UNDP, 2024.
46
United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Report 2023-24.
47
Jeffrey D. Sachs etal., The Decade of Action for the Sustainable Development
Goals: Sustainable Development Report 2021, (Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 2021).
48
Jeffrey D. Sachs etal., The Decade of Action for the Sustainable Development Goals.
49
Government of Pakistan & WHO, SDG 03 Localisation in Pakistan, Ministry of
National Health Services Regulations and Coordination, 2018,
https://phkh.nhsrc.pk/sites/default/files/2021-

15
Strategic Studies: Vol.44, No.1

places the government under considerable pressure, as alongside the

SDGs, the unfinished goalposts of the Millenium Development Goals
(MDGs) also need to be realised. Despite originating from the same
source, unlike the SDGs, the MDGs were considered by many as a “UN-
driven initiative only to be complied with by four-yearly progress reports,
prepared by consultants, without any implementation mechanism in place
to actually deliver.”

To have a well-coordinated and realistic implementation, the SDGs

were synced in with seven pillars of the 2018 National Vision Document
2025, 50 which included, a people first approach, growth, governance,
security, entrepreneurship, knowledge economy and connectivity.
Furthermore, inclusion and implementation of the SDGs have been made
integral in the five-year fiscal plan, provincial growth strategies and
development plans at grass root and local bodies’ level. Pakistan
Development Alliance as a consortium of hundred plus organisations spread
over national, provincial and district level is engaged in implementing the
SDGs at civil society level, to bring coherence and coordination. For a more
accountable and transparent system, the consortium has also carried out
Citizens’ Led Mechanism for the Voluntary National Review of SDGs51 in
the country. Given a mandate to raise awareness, set the policies and
institutional and financial scope for implementation, identify impediments
and challenges as well as evaluate and monitor the progress, this report and
several others carried out by the key stakeholders where on the one hand
have identified the level of progress, they have also brought forth the
challenges faced. The rationale behind this entire effort was to create a
space for establishing multi-sectoral linkages and collaboration and sectoral
linkages to achieve the 2030 sustainable development agenda.

Despite these measures, successive governments have been faced by

several challenges. Firstly, owing to the passage of the 18th Amendment to
the Constitution devolved healthcare policy and rulemaking to the

04/Implementation%20of%20the%202030%20Agenda%20for%20Sustainable%20
Development%20Pakistan%20WHO%202019.pdf, 10.
50
Government of Pakistan, Pakistan 2025 One Nation One Vision, Ministry of
Planning, Development & Reform, 2018.
51
Awaz CDS-Pakistan & Pakistan Development Alliance, Citizens Voice on
Volunteer National Review and Status of SDGs in Pakistan, March 2019,
https://awazcds.org.pk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Citizens-Voices-Report-
2019.pdf

16
 From Traditional to Humane Security Challenges

provincial level, a step undertaken to empower provinces to carry out their

needs specific health policies and requirements. However, the results have
not been adequately met. Secondly, despite the establishment of special
SDG units, there is a lack of internal interface for policy coordination.
There also exists a lack of financial transparency, besides poor data
reporting analysis and lastly, despite the involvement of grass root
leadership, there was not only an absence of administrative and financial
empowerment but also lack of awareness with regards the criticality of the
SDGs. Foremost amongst the challenges has been data collection and
availability. Financial constraints, devolution of administrative and financial
power to local governments, which remain dysfunctional and lack training
to comprehend as well as implement these goal posts and poor capacity
building of legislators are issues that have further been an impediment in
better implementation. 52 Lastly, given the pandemic, accessibility to
concerned stakeholders, engagement at grass roots level and a lack of
capacity at the hands of federal as well as provincial governments to handle
such complex and multilayered health challenges remained a major issue.

Prior to the outbreak of the pandemic, Pakistan’s total allocation to

healthcare in its GDP was less than 2 per cent. A dismal figure, which
was not even sufficient to fulfil the SDGs let alone be able to handle this
monumental health crisis. With a population of 220 million people,
Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world. Although
Pakistan’s population growth rate declined from 3.5 per cent per annum
in 1980s to the present estimated level of 1.9 per cent per annum it is still
an alarmingly high figure, which coupled with devolution woes, places
additional burden on the country to handle the challenges. Malnutrition
indicators and its impact on health and well-being gets adversely affected
by an increasing population.

Outbreak of COVID-19 in Pakistan

Given the above cited indicators and challenges for Pakistan the Covid-
19 pandemic came as a major health emergency, with multipronged
impact. Described as “the most serious threat we have faced in living

52
Awaz CDS-Pakistan & Pakistan Development Alliance, Citizens Voice on
Volunteer National Review and Status of SDGs in Pakistan, 08-12.

17
Strategic Studies: Vol.44, No.1

memory,” by Pakistan’s military spokesperson,53 human lives have not

been the only casualty of the pandemic. With no plan or preparedness for
such complex emergencies, once the virus hit the country and was also
declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), the
Pakistani state authorities scrambled to respond in terms of a centralised
response centre, infrastructure development, identification, quarantine
and isolation facilities, testing and triage facilities as well medicines,
ventilators, Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), as well as
pharmaceutical production of the vaccine, as and when developed.

The worst effect Pakistan has faced is in terms of the economic fallout.
With poor and unequal health care, low literacy rate, poverty, seasonal
disease outbreaks, environmental and climate change effects, locust attacks
and poor social safety networks becoming additional threat multipliers.
Bordering the two hotbeds of COVID-19, Iran and China, Pakistan could
not have escaped the pandemic and its associated disastrous effects.
Pakistan’s response to COVID-19 channelled through the National
Coordination Committee (NCC) and the National Command and Operation
Center (NCOC) has been akin to walking a tightrope between saving lives
and livelihoods. Other than increasing capacity in healthcare to deal with
COVID-19, the federal government unveiled a 900 billion-Rupee economic
stimulus package, launched a social-protection program, Ehsaas, and
attained debt relief through timely and assiduous diplomacy.

The first incident of Pakistanis testing positive to the novel

coronavirus was in late January 2020 amongst four students studying in
China. 54 Despite the foreknowledge of Coronavirus being declared as the
sixth public health emergency of international concern and a global
outbreak by the WHO as early as January 30, 2020,55 there appeared to
be insignificant preemptive or precautionary measures undertaken by

53
Khurram Husain, “The Coronavirus Economy,” Dawn, March 29, 2020,
https://www.dawn.com/news/1544172
54
Sohail Inayatullah, Puruesh Chaudhary, Syed Sami Raza and Umar Sheraz,
“COVID-19 and the Futures of Pakistan: Inclusive Foresight and Innovation,”
Journal of Futures Studies, April 29, 2020. https://jfsdigital.org/2020/04/29/covid-
19-and-the-futures-of-pakistan-inclusiveforesight-and-innovation/
55
“Naming the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the virus that causes it,” World
Health Orgnisation, https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-
2019/technical-guidance/naming-the-coronavirusdisease-(covid-2019)-and-the-
virus-that-causes-it

18
 From Traditional to Humane Security Challenges

either the federal or provincial governments. Measures such as border

closures, health certifications, testing kits for the identification of virus
affected individuals were neither fully implemented nor followed up.

With Iran becoming the first country in the region to report an

increasing number of COVID-19 positive cases, in fact the highest after
China, several neighbouring countries including Turkey and Pakistan
closed their borders before February 23rd, 2020. 56 Till the closure, the
border remained open for Zairean’s (pilgrims) and trading community,
without implementing any testing or quarantine facilities. 57 However, once
the provincial government of Balochistan implemented the closure, it had
to be relaxed amidst fears of a rising humanitarian crisis as thousands of
Pakistani pilgrims and traders became stranded at the border areas. 58
Setting screenings at entry points, requirement of mandatory health
certification by the Iranian government quarantine facilities at the border . 59

As the federal and provincial governments strived to improve

facilities, an additional pressure was to allow Pakistani nationals
returning home from international travel, or being sent back by the host
countries, as the panic regarding the pandemic finally started to take
hold. Initially, except for China, 60 students, migrant workers and
travellers from the Middle East, Europe and the U.S.returned to the
country without restriction which contributed to the spread of the virus.
As mentioned earlier, due to the initial slippage and lack of early
detection and preemption mechanisms, many cases went undetected and
by March 26th, 2020 i.e. a month after the two initial cases had been
detected, the total number of confirmed cases countrywide reached a

56
Patrick Wintour, “Turkey and Pakistan Close Borders with Iran over Coronavirus
Deaths,” Guardian, February 23, 2020.
57
Amna Bajwa, “Defying the Odds: Pakistan’s coronavirus story,” Observer
Research Forum, https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/defying-
oddspakistan.coronavirus-story/ September 29, 2020.
58
Michael Lipin etal., “Iran Coronavirus Outbreak Strands Pakistani Visitors, Fuels
Fear of Prison Contagions,” Voice of America, https://www.voanews.com/science-
health/coronavirus-outbreak/iran-coronavirus-outbreak-strands-pakistanivisitors-
fuels-fear, February 26, 2020.
59
B. Faiz, “Health and healthcare in Balochistan,” Friday Times, January 06, 2020.
60
“Pakistan Halts All Flights to And From China Amid Coronavirus Fears,” Radio
Free Europe,https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-halts-all-flights-toand-from-china-
amid-coronavirus-fears/30409783.html, January 31, 2020.

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Strategic Studies: Vol.44, No.1

figure of 1179 and at least 09 deaths were reported, which was in stark
contrast to the initial 02 cases reported.61

Given the provincial autonomy, the federating units were allowed

flexibility in deciding whether to implement a lockdown or not and that,
too, within a limited or indefinite timeframe, however, by the end of
March 2020 the country moved towards a blanket lockdown, which was
appreciated as well as criticised by the public, as many still did not realise
the severity of the pandemic. With the establishment of the NCOC,
guidelines and standard operating procedures were streamlined and
implemented nationwide which helped in further prevention of the spread.

Challenges and Government’s Response Strategy

The overworked medical staff was even deficient in medical protective

equipment and special protective face masks, a situation which was faced
both by the federal as well as provincial administrations. Gradually the
government, through the data collected and under a singular command
structure started to devise means of tackling the problem. Using the Trace,
Test and Quarantine (TTQ) Strategy,62COVID positive cases were traced
using cellular technology, smart apps and text alerts were sent out to all
those who had come into their close contact. Through mobile testing units,
those exposed and infected were tested at home, and depending on the
severity of their exposure, they were either advised to home-isolate or
taken to quarantine facilities. The TTQ was initially launched on a two-
week pilot basis, but then adopted and implemented countrywide as it
brought forth very positive results. However, an additional problems was
with susceptible cases and general attitude of the public towards not
getting tested at any of the government designated facilities. This under-
reporting has not only led to a lack of accuracy in data collation but also
put people in general at higher risk of catching the infection.

The government had to face several setbacks, such as opening of

commercial facilities, business centers and mosques owing to immense

61
Noreen etal., “COVID 19 Pandemic and Pakistan; Limitations and Gaps,” Global
Biosecurity, https://jglobalbiosecurity.com/articles/10.31646/gbio.63/
62
Amina Bajwa, “defying the ODDS: Pakistan’s Coronavirus Story,” Expert Speak,
Observers Research Foundation, http://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/defying-
odds-pakistan-coronavirus-story

20
 From Traditional to Humane Security Challenges

economic compulsions and pressure by the religious clergy. The initial

success through containment, also fell through once commercial activities
resumed leading to sudden spikes already riddled with poor economic
indicators and working on an overstretched budget, within the initial few
months, the Pakistani government faced a loss of three trillion Pakistani
rupees.63 Despite the challenged fiscal profile, the government announced
onetime cash transfer to twelve million poor households. The Five-Year
National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) Published in August
201764 after its expiry in 2022 stands in oblivion.

The government not only had to deal with the medical side of the
pandemic, but besides the economic challenges, it had to and still is
continuously sensitising people with regards the dangers of the pandemic.
The public attitude towards the pandemic remained casual which has
resulted in repeated surges, similar attitude was witnessed with regards the
Covid vaccine. The governments both federal and provincial have set up
vaccination camps both permanent and mobile, ran awareness campaigns,
and even tried to force compliance, but the result has been varied. Of the
several urban centres where the vaccination culture is better, Islamabad
capital territory was one city with more than 50 per cent population being
vaccinated.

A well-structured IT based Resource Management System to map

health resources, spanning more than 4000 COVID/ non-COVID hospitals
of the entire country, e-system facilitated decision making in terms of the
establishment of correct need assessment and capacity enhancement. By
using smart applications such as Pak Neghayban, COVID-19 Telehealth
Portal, Sehat Tahaffuz Helpline, and many other initiatives, including the
Integrated Disease Information Management System (IDIMS). Education
Institutes Monitoring System (EIMS), National Helpline & WhatsApp
Chatbot for Healthcare Workers, Community Mobilization initiatives at
district level under the aegis of Rural Support Program (RSP), youth
volunteer Tiger Force assisting government in food and ration distribution

63
Kaleeq Kiani, “Hafeez Blames Covid-19 for Rs. 3 Trillion GDP Loss,” Dawn,
June 12, 2020.
64
National Action Plan for Health Security,
https://phkh.nhsrc.pk/sites/default/files/2022-
07/National%20Action%20Plan%20for%20Health%20Security%20Updated%20Federa
l%20Level%20Costing%20Pakistan%202021.pdf

21
Strategic Studies: Vol.44, No.1

to the poor and create awareness about COVID-19. To Ehsaas Emergency

Cash Program, as well as Prime Minister’s Relief Fund in the context of
economic hardship being experienced by the vulnerable due to the
ongoing coronavirus crisis.

As mentioned earlier, for countries such as Pakistan, the fight against

the pandemic has been extremely arduous. In addition to the multiple
challenges, the biggest impediment was to convince the population as to
the reality and severity of this outbreak. From outright denial to seeking
refuge behind conspiracies, hearsay, and faith, there has been a slow
acceptance and recognition of the pandemic as a real threat to life. Similar
attitude prevails with regards the administration of the Covid vaccine. One
of the most powerful arguments put forth has been faith based. That being
Muslims, death, disease, and healthare all predetermined and unavoidable,
and the true test of one’s faith is to have unflinching belief in destiny.
Muslims do not fear death, and such occurrences should not take
precedence over one’s fundamental belief systems. The government had to
convince faith leaders in sensitising people to the dangers of the pandemic
and now the necessity to administer the vaccine.

Besides the devastating impact of the pandemic on human lives and

health, the worst hit area both globally as well as specific to Pakistan has
been the economic sector and its negative impact on average peoples’
livelihoods. Due to drastic drop in various segments of the services sector,
according to the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) assessment, the initial
loss incurred by Pakistan was five billion rupees.65 Correspondingly the
expected loss to the GDP was 10 per cent, which is an additional 1.1
trillion rupees.66 Prior to the global lockdown owing to the pandemic, the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) had projected a positive per capita
income growth for more than 160 countries including Pakistan. However,
this trend totally reversed as after six months of economic shutdown the
countries concerned were exhibiting negative per capita income growth.
Closure of industries big or small had a drastic impact on the livelihood of
people. If shutting down of small or medium range enterprises affected
modest to daily wager employees and persons whose livelihood is attached
to the domestic industry, the closure of big industries further eroded the
growth of domestic product, as service industries such as airlines, hotels,
65
Noreen and etal., “Covid 19 Pandemic and Pakistan.”
66
Noreen and etal., “Covid 19 Pandemic and Pakistan.”

22
 From Traditional to Humane Security Challenges

big industries, trade, and commerce have come to a sudden halt, impacting
revenue generation.

The dilemma therefore has been double edged — choosing between

saving lives or livelihoods. Lagging severely behind in the Human
Development Index, the federal government opted for smart lockdowns, as
the possibility of further slipping down the poverty line became a real time
risk. Having more than 24.3 per cent of the country’s population living
below the poverty line,67 the daily wagers small scale vendors and labor
class has been the most vulnerable economic group during the lockdown.
Linked to this are the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)
which are highly dependent on and driven by market demand, supply
chains, export orders, raw material, and uninterrupted transportation
system. In Pakistan’s case, the MSMEs form the proverbial backbone of
the country’s economy as they contribute collectively towards 40 per cent
of the GDP with over 40 per cent to export earnings and constitute over 90
per cent of the estimated 3.2 million business enterprises.68 The volume of
economy linked to the MSMEs, implies that they also are a major source
of employment and income generation and any disruption driven by
domestic or external factors has a drastic impact on this sector and the
overall economic profile.

For this reason, the government from the onset of the pandemic was
in a quandary whether to impose a complete lockdown or not. To support
the daily wagers and vulnerable economic groups, not only were the
social welfare programmes already in place, such as the Zakat and Baitul
Maal, Ehssas program, Langar Khanas were used, relief packages, and
relaxation on utility bills and subsidies were provided especially to lower
income groups. With regards to the industry, the government announced
a Rs. 1.2 trillion economic relief packages with Rs. 150 billion allotted

67
World Bank Global Poverty Working Group, “Poverty Headcount Ratio at
National Poverty Lines (% of Population),” The World Bank,
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.NAHC.
68
Mohsin Shafi, Junrong Liu, Wenju Ren, “Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on
Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises Operating in Pakistan,” Research in
Globalization, vol 02, 2020, http://www.sciencedirect.com/
science/article/pii/S2590051X20300071

23
Strategic Studies: Vol.44, No.1

specifically to low-income groups, and Rs. 100 billion assigned to

support small industries and the agriculture sector.69

An important aspect has been the stalling of routine immunisation

drives such as against polio or measles. Plus given the surge in pandemic
effected patients, hospitals had very little capacity to accommodate any
other patients. With already poor access to quality health care, the
country has evolved an extensive infrastructure, but with uneven
distribution. As per WHO assessment, health care delivery is negatively
impacted by key issues such as high population growth, uneven
distribution of health professionals, insufficient funding and limited
access to quality healthcare. 70 To redress these problems, the government
is working with international partner and donor organisations towards a
viable and sustainable primary health care system with sustainable health
financing in Pakistan.

The key challenges remain resource allocation, decentralisation, lack

of political ownership and prioritising, extremely fragile and corrupt
health care system which needs a major reappraisal. Absence of local
governments and lack of grass root awareness, participation or
ownership, absence of information and data collection. A critical
baseline requirement without which no planning or implementation can
take place. Lastly but most importantly the role of faith leaders and
opinion makers. After facing initial resistance and passionate speeches in
which the pandemic was dismissed as a global conspiracy against
Muslims and the fact that as true Muslims, it would never affect us. The
government ultimately used these agencies to motivate and convince
people to observe pandemic related precautions.

Conclusion

Security in the contemporary world is not restricted to physical domain

alone. It is envisioned comprehensively through the lens of human

69
Government of Pakistan, “COVID-19 and Pakistan,” Board of Investment,
November 09, 2020, https://www.flandersinvestmentandtrade.com/export/
nieuws/coronavirus-situation-pakistan.
70
Introduction, Health Service Delivery in Pakistan, WHO,
http://www.emro.eho.int/pak/programmes/service-delivery.html

24
 From Traditional to Humane Security Challenges

security that guarantees a safe, sustainable, and healthy society.

Although the novel coronavirus outbreak has indiscriminately affected
people worldwide, it has also brought to light the glaring reality, that
every country regardless of its global power potential has struggled to
face this challenge, and health care facilities remain questionable.

With new geo-strategic and economic configurations developing at

the world theatre, and a possibility of a massive humanitarian crisis
shaping up in neighbouring Afghanistan, Pakistan cannot afford to have
compound crisis of a nature and magnitude beyond its capacity and
comprehension. To preempt and prevent a major fallout the need is to
aim for a comprehensive preparedness and response as well as joining
hands with regional and extra-regional partners to tackle the challenges.
To address its own set of polycrises, Pakistan needs to develop a
sustained approach to address these challenges with all stakeholders on
board. Despite the challenges faced by the health sector and the poor
international indices, Pakistan fared well in combatting the ‘Pandemic.’
Specially at a time when multipronged challenges including domestic
militancy, cross border unrest and terrorism, a grey zone war with India
and economic challenges were proving to be a crippling factor for the
government. Confronting simultaneously climate change and its impact
unless the state does not develop an indigenous preemptive and
preventive system of its own, it will remain dependent on external
elements to tackle with the challenges. However, to preempt, such
polycrises in future, the need is for a sustainable approach, that
transcends political and ideological divide and remains human centric.

25