Security-development nexus

PAKISTAN can’t achieve sustained economic growth by treating security as a separate problem for the security apparatus to handle while econom­ists focus on investment, exports, productivity and fiscal reform. Insecurity destroys the very conditions on which economic development depe­nds, while development strengthens the foundations of security. Our crisis makes this nexus impossible to ignore. For decades, discussions on investment, production, growth, and development have largely focused on economic policies while underestimating the non-economic environment in which they operate. Yet, security of life and property, political stability, rule of law, judicial independence, federal-provincial coordination, accountability, and regional peace directly affect economic outcomes. Unless these improve, returns from economic reforms will remain below potential. Increasing militancy and Pakistan’s top position on the Global Terrorism Index 2026 are damaging lives and economic prospects. The recent attack on a police compound in Kohat, in which 37 people, including military personnel, were killed, received international coverage. Foreign business people and executives reportedly cancelled plan­ned visits, while travel advisories issued by sever­al governments can discourage their nationals from visiting Pakistan. In 2025, TTP attacks in KP and BLA strikes in Balochistan caused hundreds of ca­­sualties among security personnel. The past decade’s trend shows that terrorism is no longer episodic. It is a structural constraint on investment, trade, tourism, development and employment. The origins of the TTP challenge go back several decades. Pakistan’s decision in the 1980s to align with the US in opposing the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan had consequences beyond the immediate strategic goal. The proliferation of arms and drugs, sectarian violence, growth of militant groups and the spread of extremist ideologies created a social and institutional environment that facilit