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Pakistan’s Counterinsurgency (COIN) Gets Economic Imperative
Pakistan’s security and political leadership appear to have reoriented their counterinsurgency (COIN) approach in Baluchistan around a central economic imperative.
In the past, COIN efforts were guided primarily by security concerns, particularly those tied to regional stability along the Afghan border as part of broader objectives shared with the United States.
Today, however, policymakers and the military leadership are expressing heightened urgency in Baluchistan, but on the basis of potential economic benefits, including mineral wealth and the possibility of turning Gwadar into a vital trade port.
These shifts do not appear to be a sudden break from the previous COIN framework, but rather a recalibration of Pakistan’s priorities as it pursues new sources of revenue.
This change is rooted in the notion that Baluchistan’s economic assets, such as copper, gold, and possibly rare earths, could offer a significant fiscal windfall for the country’s economy if developed effectively.
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