ABSTRACT
One widely accepted definition of the security state, which comes from the realist school of thought in International Relations (IR), places the state in its international political context where strife and struggle among the community of states is an ever-present condition. One of the crucial factors in the development of the security state in Pakistan is its long-drawn exposure to the state of emergency. The security law in Pakistan is procedural in nature, rather than substantive. Since the security law is more procedural in nature, it is also more prone to government's control. The major security laws of Pakistan do not prescribe any new offences. The offences that are provided in the schedules attached to the security laws are those offences already available in the Penal Code or other laws. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
