Individual Liberty Versus State Security

In theoretical international relations, the state is regarded as the central figure; an entity around which everything revolves, whether it is international politics or diplomacy. According to the neorealist school of thought, survival and security are the primary concerns for the state because the anarchic nature of geopolitics compels the state to survive by seeking security. Consequently, in order to minimize the possibility of any arising threat, states employ various techniques and tactics to ensure their security.

Surveillance and espionage remain the traditional modes of obtaining classified information, deceiving the enemy and subverting its advances. Classical strategists such as Sun-Tzu and Chanakya have hinted at such methods in their ancient writings. However, with the passage of time, these activities have systemically changed. In the world’s current factual matrix, deployment of human spies is not the only the means to carry out espionage because unprecedented technological advancement has facilitated more advanced means of spying.

Malala Has Done Everyone Proud

Pakistan is a country where – no matter how corrupt they are – sportsmen are mostly considered to be stars and heroes. But, as in the case of Mumtaz Qadri, there are some instances where murderers have also become heroes. On the other hand, our nation’s dilemma is that it disregards and rebukes those who really deserve appreciation. For example, such tendencies are evidenced in the fact that the majority of Pakistanis do not really remember our only Nobel laureate: the late Abdus Salam. Similarly, the same proclivities can be observed in the case of Malala Yousafzai who has become a worldwide symbol of freedom, democracy, education and women’s rights: she is being praised everywhere for her courage and determination.

Equally, in rival India, Malala is an icon and will be awarded the prestigious Basavashree Award. She has also won the Sakharov Prize and the list of accolades bestowed upon her is too elaborate to comprehensively expand upon in this post. But it is rather lamentable that large swathes of her own country’s population are criticizing, opposing and even abusing her.