Challenges to Sovereignty

Outline
• Introduction
• Historical Perspective of sovereignty
• Challenges to Sovereignty
– Internal Challenges
– External Challenges
• How to overcome these challenges
• Conclusion
 Introduction
• Sovereignty is the supreme power of the state.
• It means that the state is free from controls
both internally as well as externally.
• Challenges to sovereignty means that the
control of the state is at stake.
• There are forces which are challenging the
writ of the state.
• These forces are internal as well as external.
 Introduction
• Sovereignty means ability, capability and
capacity of a state to make and implement its
decisions independently ie without fear,
coercion and pressures.
• In a world which is interdependent because of
globalisation and connectivity, it is not possible
for a state to be totally sovereign.
• Its decisions are bound to be influenced by
external factors.
 Introduction
• Sovereignty means supremacy and the concept
has originated in the West after the treaty of
Westphalia signed in 1648.
• Previously the states were controlled from
outside and afterwards, states were free from
such control and were independently deciding
their policies.
• The three organs of government perform their
functions independently.
 Introduction
• No state in the world can claim to be completely
sovereign.
• Even the sole superpower of USA cannot claim it.
• Its sovereignty was challenged on September 11,
2001 and security is still its priority # 1, like all
other states of the world.
• Pakistan is no exception as far as challenges to
sovereignty are concerned.
 Introduction
• Internal challenges to Pakistan sovereignty include
TTP, religious and sectarian groups, insurgents and
tribal groups, militant wings of political parties,
economic weaknesses, Al-Qaida and ISIS.
• External challenges, Drone Attacks and CIA, Cross
border firing and Raw, cross border movement and
NDS, Mosad, Globalization, international financial
institutions, Al-Qaida and ISIS.
 Historical Perspective of sovereignty
• Pakistan’s sovereignty is always a subject of
debate since its joining the Western alliance
system during 1950s.
• Assuming the title of a ‘front line state’ during
the cold war in 1950s and 1960s,
• The Soviet military presence in Afghanistan
during 1980s and in the aftermath of 9/11,
 Historical Perspective of sovereignty
• Pakistan undoubtedly paid a heavy price in the
form of losing its sovereignty and becoming a
pawn in superpower rivalry.
• Whereas, post 9/11 alignment with the United
States for the sake of monetary benefits exposed
Pakistan to extremism, radicalisation, violence
and terrorism.
• It is not only dependence on foreign aid and
investments,
 Historical Perspective of sovereignty

• Sovereignty of a country is compromised

when bailout package from International
Monetary Fund (IMF) is repeatedly sought and
• Short-long term loans are taken from various
international financial institutions like the
World Bank, Asian Development Bank,
Islamic Development Bank and other foreign
banks to meet essential expenditures.
 Historical Perspective of sovereignty

• All the way since mid-1950s till today, no

government in Pakistan has been able to be
independent of foreign influence while
formulating its domestic and foreign policy.
 Historical Perspective of sovereignty

• Even the government of ZA Bhutto, which was

termed as the most assertive regime in
Pakistan failed to prevent those external forces
who were trying to meddle in the country’s
internal affairs during the agitation of Pakistan
National Alliance (PNA) after the alleged
rigged elections of March 1977.
 Historical Perspective of sovereignty

• It was not only the interference and influence

of the United States but Arab sheikhdoms,
including Saudi Arabia are termed as major
actors in Pakistan’s domestic affairs.
• Saudi Arabia forced a deal on the then
President Gen Pervez Musharraf in late 2000
to release the deposed PM Nawaz Sharif and
send him along with his family in exile for 10
years to Saudi Arabia.
 Historical Perspective of sovereignty

• In 2007, Saudi Arabia again forced President

Musharraf to allow Nawaz Sharif to return to
Pakistan before completing 10 years of his
exile.
 Historical Perspective of sovereignty

• Pakistan compromised on its sovereignty in the

post-9/11 period by allowing United States to
use its airspace and airbases to launch attacks
on the Taliban targets in Afghanistan.
• The sovereignty of Pakistan was the issue when
the United States began to launch series of
drone strikes on the tribal areas of Pakistan
since 2004 of what it called ‘safe heavens’ of
Taliban and Al-Qaeda.
 Historical Perspective of sovereignty
• The erosion of Pakistan’s sovereignty reached its
peak when on May 2, 2011,
• US navy seals in two helicopters sneaked into
Pakistan and
• launched ‘Operation Geronimo’ where in a
compound in the garrison city of Abbottabad they
killed Osama bin Laden,
• a global terrorist figure with an American head
money of 50 million dollars.
 Historical Perspective of sovereignty

• They not only killed Osama bin Laden but also

took his dead body and his family in the
remaining one helicopter to Afghanistan
violating the sovereignty of Pakistan.
• There was a hue and cry in Pakistan that why
and how a foreign country was able to violate
its airspace and sneak 150 kilometers inside the
territory of Pakistan and launch that operation.
 Historical Perspective of sovereignty

• The Salala incident of November 2011 when

US forces deployed in Afghanistan killed
several Pakistani soldiers and
• Islamabad was unable to do anything except to
stop NATO supplies for some time which were
resumed later on.
 Historical Perspective of sovereignty

• Who can forget severe violation of Pakistan’s

sovereignty when Raymond Davis, a CIA
contractor,
• He was arrested in Lahore in late January 2011
while killing two motorcyclists, was released
after government failed to resist American
pressure, including Hilary Clinton, the then
U.S Secretary of State.
 Historical Perspective of sovereignty

• Ironically, on April 8, 2018, the US military

attaché in Islamabad hit a motorcyclist killing
one person and injuring another.
• Instead of handing over the killer to the
foreign office, the police set him free.
 Historical Perspective of sovereignty

• A major reality concerning the breach of

Pakistan’s sovereignty could be found in the
much publicized CPEC.
• Enormous concessions given to China by
Pakistan by leasing the strategic port of
Gwadar to China under 40 years lease will
undermine Pakistan’s sovereignty.
 Challenges to Sovereignty

• Pakistan’s gradual assertion of sovereignty

amidst deep rooted dependence on foreign
loans and aid got noticeable on April 5 when
Islamabad delayed the signing of a revised
trade agreement with China and refused to
grant it zero duty concession on the import of
Chinese goods.
 Challenges to Sovereignty

• On April 10, 2018 Pakistan ordered the

deportation of five Chinese engineers who had
misbehaved with the police in M-4 project
near Kabirwala, Punjab.
• Earlier in November last year, Pakistan had
turned down Chinese request for the use of its
currency in the Free Trade Zone under China-
Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
 Challenges to Sovereignty

• Like many post-colonial states Pakistan is grappling

with the issue of sovereignty because of its heavy
dependence on external financial assistance and
loans in order to meet budgetary deficits and to carry
out developmental projects.
• In the recent past, CPEC provided Pakistan a
window of opportunity to modernise its
infrastructure, overcome energy shortfalls and
provide employment to hundreds and thousands of
people.
 Challenges to Sovereignty

• Starting from 46 billion dollars in 2015, CPEC

investment will touch 62 billion dollars upon
its completion in 2030.
• Yet the gigantic amount of $ 62 billion will not
be in the form of grants but loans given to
Pakistan which it needs to return in coming
decades.
 Internal Challenges
• Internal challenges to Pakistan sovereignty
include
i. TTP,
ii. religious and sectarian groups,
iii. insurgents and tribal groups,
iv. militant wings of political parties,
v. economic weaknesses,
vi. Al-Qaida and ISIS.
 External Challenges
• External challenges include;
i. Drone Attacks and CIA,
ii. Cross border firing and Raw,
iii. Cross border movement and NDS,
iv. Mosad,
v. Globalization,
vi. international financial institutions,
vii. Al-Qaida and ISIS.
 How to overcome these challenges

• No Compromise on National Interest:

• Pakistan cannot protect its sovereignty unless
those at the helm of affairs continue to
compromise on national interests and provide
space to outsiders meddle in the country’s
internal affairs.
 How to overcome these challenges

• Self sufficiency:
• Sovereignty would remain at risk as long is
Pakistan is on dole and heavily dependent on
the outside world for providing loans and aid
in the form of bailout package.
 How to overcome these challenges

• Good Governance:
• Corruption, nepotism, bad governance,
absence of the rule of law, violence and
terrorism also questions the ability of state to
gain a respectable position at the international
level.
 How to overcome these challenges

• Counter-Intelligence:
• To prevent the involvement of foreign
intelligence agencies and terrorist non-state
actors, out intelligence agencies have to
preempt their planning, execution etc.
 Conclusion
• It is concluded that sovereignty is the supreme
power of the state and its having challenges
both internal and external.
• It can only be overcome if keep our own house
in order through good governance,
transparency and rule of law.