Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences (PJSS) Vol. 39, No. 2 (2019), pp. 665-673 Revisiting South Asian Security Saga: A Nexus of Subaltern Realism and Human Security for Peace in 21st century Asmat Naz Professor, Dean Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, The Women University Multan Asma Akbar Lecturer, Department of Political Science, The women University, Multan Abstract: Today South Asia is pierced with encroaches of violence, conflicts and instability. Endeavors to drag this region out of turmoil have not been aptly opted due to neo-realist tendencies in security calculus of this region. This paradigm further exacerbates the situation by keeping these internally fragile states active to combat with their external dangers and problems while being dormant towards interior issues. Shadow of “security dilemma” blurs their lens of security by detaching them with their historical context. In this paper, region of South Asia, a conglomeration of newly born, internally weak third world states has been scrutinized with a non-conventional lens. As compared to neo- realism, this perspective delineates that security dilemma is not an optimal security approach towards a region consisting of third world states because these states are still indulged in state making process and have not overcome their internal issues. Moreover intra-state problems have strong connection with inter-state clashes because these off-springs of colonial age have synthetic frontiers; therefore, there are ethno-linguistic bonds among people of surrounding countries. In this way, agitation or separatist demand of an ethno-linguistic group in one country could be spilled over to adjacent state having same ethnic group. Similarly disputed frontiers among states halt the process of state-making in each contestant state by hanging over fusion of all state areas under a political regime .i.e. the case of Kashmir and Durand line issue in early history of Pakistan and at present the issue of Greater Baluchistan. The subaltern Realist paradigm suggested by Ayoob adopts a state centric approach but still it deviates from realist and non-realist version of state centrism. For Ayoob states have to prioritize its internal stability by adopting a policy of state making. However this introvert approach asks for the legitimacy of a state acquired by seeking allegiance from its citizens. While on the other hand, in post-cold war years a new paradigm of human security also emerged that challenges the conventional security approach and focuses on human being as potential victim of multiple threats all over the world instead of state but the question that “who” will provide this all-encompassing security to human beings divided amongst state boundaries has not been settled yet. Some believe that it is an agenda of hegemonic intervention in disguise while others consider it a utopian ideal to be achieved only in a pacifist world. However, in order to 666 Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences Vol. 39, No. 2 achieve this utopia of individual’s security, the only known institution for the world is State. A powerful state that gives priority to development rights and securities of its citizen and is also in need of allegiance from its population can rise above the paradoxes of internal de-stability as well as interstate rivalry. The paper in hand will revisit the insecurity saga of two important states of South Asia i.e. Afghanistan and Pakistan. Although the states are typical examples of state failure described by Ayoob but both played a pivotal role in cold war security order. At dawn of new millennium these states are homes of all kind of insecurities defined by Human Security School. Both states are still vital for international and regional security orders. At the same time these states are considered to be a threat for regional and International Peace. Hence after analyzing the past and present scenarios of these two neighboring states we suggest a nexus of Subaltern Realism and Human Security for a peaceful future of South Asia. Keywords: South Asia, Human security, Subaltern Realism, Realism, State-making, Intra-state Conflicts, Human development, Human rights, Pakistan, Afghanistan. I. Introduction Region of South Asia is of paramount importance as being the cradle of large portion of world population and its geo-strategic and geo-political dynamism in world history. South Asian studies reveal it as a conflict trodden landscape with smudges of ethnic fissures, linguistic divergence and secessionist tendencies culminating into a worst kind of violence and radicalism in all member countries alike. These internal factors get along with certain inter-state tensions and conflicts .This overlapping between inter-state and intra-state challenges exacerbate the regional insecurity. This security crisis involves loopholes in many sectors including military’s dominant role, low pace of modernization, pecuniary dependence on extra-territorial forces and divergent political setups in member states. Oddness of these similar yet different conditions of member states has also been exploited by dominant players of world politics. For example, involvement of Cold war better-half (Russia) in Afghanistan has also elevated its proximity with global political affairs. (Rubinoff, 1990) This research work is to bring to light the insecurity saga of two important states of South Asia i.e. Afghanistan and Pakistan. Although the states are typical examples of state failure described by Ayoob but both played a pivotal role in cold war and post-cold war security order. At dawn of new millennium these states are homes of all kind of insecurities defined by Human Security School. Both states are still vital for international and regional security orders. At the same time these states are considered to be a threat for regional and International Peace. It could be said that regional security complex of South Asia revolves around Pakistan and Afghanistan. But it is needed to deal with this regional security complex by keeping in view of Subaltern Realistic approach. The main punch line of this perspective revolves around the process of incomplete state making which Ayoob advocates about all third world countries. He opines to amplify the role of political institution in a state and to minimize the role of military in policies of state Instead of focusing on the extra regional forces or external variables, Ayoob proposes to Asmat Naz, Asma Akbar 667 deal it internally by strengthening the state muscle but with a particular reverence for human rights. In this study emphasis has been placed on the relationship between subaltern realism and human security which has often been seen in contradiction with each other because subaltern realism prioritizes state as its main actor while human security makes individual as its level of analysis. But actually both cannot be separated from each other. No doubt it is a fact that in present day state creates insecurity for its own citizens sometimes when their interests come into clash but this is also important to emphasize that both cannot secure their interests without each other. For example, according to McSweeney, a state and its people are interconnected with each other through set of rules by state machinery directed towards its citizens, an independent civil society and coordination between these two entities. (Gjorv, 2012) We must have a look on this point of view with a reference to Pakistan and Afghanistan. II. South Asian Security Conundrum As far as security of South Asia is concerned, it needs to be scrutinized and defined in a non-typical manner. Conventional way to define and address the security concerns could take us way from our objective to establish peace in this region of the world. Age of geopolitics is getting oblivious day by day because there are numerous other gigantic concerns of South Asia that are needed to be addressed in order to securitize this region. The significance to securitize this region could be highlighted by emphasizing its geographical proximity with west Asian oil-resource region, South East Asian region via Mountain ranges linked to China and to African continent via Arabian Sea routes. (Gupta, 1996) Furthermore, strategically this region has been engaged in world political dynamics during Cold War in order to contain Russian aggression and laterally in post-cold war era it is under spotlight due to its involvement to combat terrorism. Stability of this region is very much attached with the supremacy of India on rest of the countries and turbulent relations of these countries with India. India is having friction in its relations with other South Asian countries based on water, territorial and certain other issues of demographic nature. The main territorial clash of India is on area of Kashmir, a piece of land between India and Pakistan. This conflict seems to be the final nail in the coffin of South Asian Security profile. Both nuclear states since their inception are antagonistic to each other not only due to disputed territory but also being members of opposite camps in cold war era heading towards race of armament. In post- cold war era too, the situation does not reverse and both countries maintain their militaries’ profile intact. (Gupta, 1996).(Trade with India) A paradigmatic shift in security calculation of Pakistan is needed utmost because economic under-development is the most important internal factor causing insecurity at national level. The new national security paradigm should be primarily focused on establishing writ of state to overcome crisis of law and order and safeguarding proprietary rights. A neo-liberalized trade policy between Pakistan and India is needed to promote constant trade based economic association between two countries which is in the better interest of whole region (Nabi, 2013)Moreover strategic requirements are also diversifying as these are also evident from new military doctrine drafted in 2012 in which General Raheel sharief voiced by presenting it that Pakistan should pay attention to its 668 Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences Vol.