Pakistan: Food Insecurity in a National Security State

Abstract

By any count or criterion, Pakistan is a national security state. It always was. The country has fought four wars with India, and it continues to suffer the devastating consequences of confrontation with its formidable neighbor – India; it has been put under siege for more than 40 years by the terrorist and religious extremist groups; it has suffered long spells of military rule; its political structure remains fragile; its civil society organizations are vulnerable, weak, and toothless; and its media, universities, research institutes, and judiciary are under huge stress. Given the state of affairs, the realization is rather slow to grow that human development strengthens national power and national security much more than weapons. It is in this context that a study on food insecurity in Pakistan has been undertaken. It aims to explain as to how a predominantly agricultural country has been reduced into a food resource poor country, and how has the neglect of social, economic, and cultural sectors made Pakistan more insecure. This study covers a number of related issues as well, but it mainly looks for answer to two questions: first, should food insecurity be studied in isolation as a separate issue or as a part of the larger issue of governance, security, and people; and second, isn't there a need to drastically restructure the economic, political, and security landscape and framework to significantly diminish poverty, illiteracy, and food insecurity in the country?

Citation

Mehdi, S.S. (2024), "Pakistan: Food Insecurity in a National Security State", Das, R.C. (Ed.) Growth, Poverty and Developmental Aspects of Agriculture, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 177-190. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83608-076-320241012