Pakistan's Foreign Policy: Security, State, and Society

Pakistan's foreign policy challenges over nearly eight decades stem directly from its persistent civil-military imbalance. The military employs a narrative of existential threats from all directions to strengthen its domestic control. Drawing on Ontological Security Theory, Post-structuralist Discourse Theory, and the concept of 'fantasy,' this study critically examines the narratives crafted by Pakistan's ruling elites, particularly the military, since the country's inception. The analysis reveals a pervasive 'siege mentality' narrative that fosters anxiety and insecurity among the populace. Ongoing tensions along Pakistan's eastern and western borders are used to justify tight domestic control, reinforced by fantasies portraying the military as the nation's sole protector against insecurity.

Drawing on extensive primary data, this book demonstrates how this narrative legitimises the military's outsized influence over foreign and domestic policy, while justifying a disproportionately large defence budget that primarily benefits the military elite. At the same time, much of society remains impoverished, malnourished, and undereducated. Decades of poorly managed foreign policy, driven by a strategy of 'controlled chaos,' have trapped the military and the nation in a cycle of inescapable consequences.

Wali Aslam, Associate Professor in International Relations, University of Bath

Wali Aslam is an Associate Professor (Reader) in International Relations at the University of Bath, United Kingdom. Before joining Bath, he taught at Forman Christian College University (Pakistan), Brunel University London, and the University of Glasgow, among others. His has published widely on the international relations of South Asia, Asian security, Pakistan's foreign relations, U.S.-Pakistan relations, and International Relations theory.