SU Hosts International Conference

The two-day 1st International Conference on "Non-Traditional Security Paradigms of Pakistan: Options and Challenges" began from Thursday at University of Sindh Jamshoro

HYDERABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Jun, 2021 ) :The two-day 1st International Conference on "Non-Traditional Security Paradigms of Pakistan: Options and Challenges" began from Thursday at University of Sindh Jamshoro.

The inaugural ceremony of the conference was presided over by the Vice-Chancellor, University of Sindh Jamshoro Prof. Dr. Muhammad Siddique Kalhoro while the advisor to Sindh Chief Minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro was the chief guest of the event.

In his presidential remarks, Prof. Dr Muhammad Siddique Kalhoro said that non-traditional security was itself a new emerging part of security, the importance of which could not be denied. "Whether it is threats, issues or challenges, non-traditional security has become an important part of the national security agenda," he said.

He said that non-traditional security issues needed to be given significance for the betterment and survival of the states and their people. He said the non-traditional security did not require military force, as it involved climate change, lack of resources, epidemic diseases, natural disasters, illegal migration, food shortages, human smuggling, drug-trafficking and transnational crime.

There had been an increase in non-traditional security issues in Pakistan over the last few years, he said and added Pakistan is rapidly running out of agricultural water reserves for agriculture and potable drinking water which is an essential element to sustaining life. The population explosion of Pakistan posed another grave threat to its sustainability as it was leading to poorer labor and a higher number of mouths to feed, he added.

Speaking on the occasion, the Advisor to Sindh Chief Minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said that the country was facing non-traditional security threats, including epidemic diseases, drug trafficking, food shortages, water scarcity, money laundering, energy crisis and other issues. "We are facing all these dangers," he said and added, Pakistan had been facing a host of non-traditional security challenges that had seriously impacted its development, growth, economic progress as well as political stability.

He said that earthquakes, hurricanes, famines, floods and other natural calamities were also on the rise which needed to be tackled. The role of higher education institutions and researchers was more important, he said.

He said that Pakistan was a developing country which was facing non-traditional security according to its resources, but the world needed to make joint efforts in this regard. The blast in Lahore on Wednesday was also a non-traditional security threat, he said and added we are facing the worst of such incidents. The advisor noted that the concerted efforts were needed to meet the non-traditional security challenges.

The Chancellor Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Jamshoro Prof. Muhammad Aslam Uqaili said that Pakistan was currently facing various challenges including terrorism, population growth, political instability, economic challenges, climate change, human trafficking and many other non-traditional security paradigms and in his opinion, Pakistan is not yet capable of facing these problems.

After the inaugural ceremony, the working session with presentation of papers from scholars started at Sheikh Ayaz Auditorium of the Arts Faculty Building, University of Sindh Jamshoro.

Among many other scholars faculty, students and dignitaries, the Vice Chancellor Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences Prof. Dr. Bekharam, Vice Chancellor Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur Prof. Dr. Khalil Ahmed Ibuputo, Vice Chancellor Government College University Hyderabad Prof. Dr. Tayyaba Zarif, Vice Chancellor Benazir Bhutto University of Medical and Health Sciences Larkana Prof. Dr. Anila Atta-ur-Rehman and DIG Hyderabad Sharjeel Kharal also attended the inaugural session of the conference.