Addressing a seminar on ‘Interplay of Economy and Security” in Karachi last week, COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa underlined the need to ensure a viable balance between economy and security in order to achieve prosperity. He pointed out that “national security and economy are interlinked in today’s world”. He expressed concerns over the country’s ‘sky high debt’ as well as the ‘abysmally low’ tax-to- GDP ratio. He also called for increasing tax base, bringing fiscal discipline and ensuring continuity of economic policies in Pakistan. Later, talking to the host of a popular TV talk show, DG ISPR said, “If Pakistan’s economy is not good, security is not good either”. Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, being highly concerned about the civilian supremacy, advised DG ISPR to refrain from commenting on the economy in public. In fact, this recent ‘national security-economy linkage’ saga just indicates that there is considerable trust-deficit between the military establishment and the civil government in Pakistan. At the same time, it also shows the fact of expanding domain of national security in the country.
