Sovereign Development: Outline of a Grand Strategy for Pakistan

During 2005-2013, missiles fired from US drones led to verified deaths of some 80,000 Pakistanis (49,000 civilians); and associated domestic subversion and terrorism, to the estimated death of another 50,000. More have been dying since 2013. There is a need to defend the nation, better. To do so requires a grand strategy. While, there are objective limits to the scope for sovereign action, hostile information operations have sapped the will to resist of those, who take decisions and make public opinion, in Pakistan, leading to greater helplessness than is warranted. Identifying four emergent global trends, the article outlines a grand strategy — of sovereign development — which would provide an overall integrated approach to strategic communication, diplomacy, development, and defence. It concludes by identifying some constraints to implementation and suggesting ways to overcome them.