Head of PPP Media Cell
Pakistan’s foreign policy today presents an emblem of total failure in general and towards its neighbourly countries in particular. It is on the path of making friends as foes and foes fierce enemies. It has drifted the country to isolation and will surely complete the cycle if obstinacy continues to sway over the redundant and retrogressive thinking of the mandarins. Our immediate neighbours, Iran, Afghanistan and India, have seemingly lost their hopes to do friendly business with the country. They have joined together to the exclusion of Pakistan and have signed historic Chabahar port agreement as pinnacle of regional cooperation unfolding infinite vistas for the people of the countries through trade and commerce. Pakistan, pitiably, is on the last rung of isolation. We could not realise the potential of our geographical location to our advantage due to the wishful strategic considerations and the shortsighted foreign policy.
How unfortunate the international community believes in Pakistan as playing double game and has not jettisoned it yet so far as its Afghan policy is concerned? Perceptions are bigger than reality in the inter-state relations. The killing of Mulla Mansour on Pakistani soil recently reinforces their stance of flouting the stated policy of not differentiating between good Taliban and bad Taliban. United States is equally disappointed and the Congress has blocked financial and military assistance to the country explicitly crossing the threshold of its patience. It has resulted in retribution analogous to diplomatic rebuff of grotesque proportion.
Iranian president reciprocated the goodwill visit to Pakistan which was sabotaged by leaking the news of the arrest of an Indian agent in Balochistan who was reportedly based in Iran. One failed to understand the sense of proportion of those who decided to leak it to media during the visit of the Iranian president. It was an unforgiving diplomatic goof. It amply suggested those who were responsible were abundantly unqualified, incompetent, and unimaginative mired in brinkmanship mindset. Rejection of diplomacy as a powerful instrument to build inter-state relations is the manifestation of their blemished thinking.
It may be recalled, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, at the outset, sincerely tried to seek the help of Pakistan to initiate peace process in his country by bringing the Afghan Taliban leaders on the negotiation table. His bold step was not reciprocated by Pakistan notwithstanding tall promises. He was nudged to seek refuge in Indian camp again due to the compelling domestic reasons as well. He met with utter frustration and the height of his frustration busted when he addressed the Afghan Parliament recently pointedly blaming Pakistan for all the predicaments of Afghanistan and its people. What else could be the proof of our Afghan policy’s utter failure? The killing of Mulla Mansour on Pakistani soil further deepened the mistrust between Pakistan on the one hand and Afghanistan, USA and the international community on the other. Our credibility and competence have eroded to the lowest ebb again.
Pakistan has a few friends today because countries of the world are no more prepared to share the burden of the pitfalls attributed to our follies and duplicity. It is ironic. Notwithstanding, Pakistan has faced the worst blowback of the Afghan war killing fifty thousands of its civilians and thousands of brave soldiers. Losses to the economy running into billions of dollar and yet the country is being treated as a whipping boy than a partner. The international community is skeptical and alleges us as playing on the both sides of the street. This accusation is substantiated as Afghan Taliban leadership, fighting against government in Kabul, is living in Pakistan where from it reportedly plans and executes deadly terrorist attacks inside Afghanistan. Pakistan adviser on Foreign Affairs disclosed Afghan Taliban leadership’s presence in Pakistan that we had been vehemently denying for the last many years. The killing of Mulla Mansour in Balochistan holding Pakistani passport, bearing fake identity, landed us in an embarrassing and indefensible position globally, raising a number of disturbing questions not of our liking.
The Indian Prime Minister Modi visited Pakistan to give impetus to the normalisation process that had been hostage to fixations of the two countries, Mumbai attack and Samjootha Express tragedy. But Pathankot Airbase terrorist attack dashed all hopes of building bridges between the two countries. Indeed, it’s taking off remained as elusive as ever. It has met the same ill-fate as in the past at the hands of non-state actors. It sent clear message to the international community that non-state actors were omnipotent. The government of Pakistan had no spine to control them. It also opined, according to the media, the security establishment of Pakistan was not inclined to normalisations of relations on an accelerated pace.
Without its concurrence, relations with India could not be put on friendly trajectory. So, Pakistan could not cover an inch of ground towards normalisation as the stalemate was continuing to the much disappointment of the people of the countries who were keen to see two countries living as good neighbours.
Historically, with the exception of Bhuttos, the foreign and the security policies of the country had been mainly the domain of the Security Establishment. The Foreign Office had to take the back seat reducing it to the status of mere a post office. It is not a compliment. The civilian governments had no courage to retrieve their space because of their compulsive exigencies emanating from the narrative of living for the other day. The results of the one institution’s stepping into the domains of the other inevitably had incurred irredeemable losses to the country and its institutions.
To illustrate the point, it can be argued that all the territorial losses to the country were inflicted during dictatorships’ watch. Autocrats got the country entangled in the useless and futile wars. The country had to brace dismemberment because of the utter failures of our foreign and domestic policies during the autocrats’ rules. Our security and foreign policy de juro movers and shakers were unable to understand the optics of diplomacy who built it on the narrative of rivalry rather than on the peaceful co-existence.
It is being run on the beaten tracks even today. Policy of brinkmanship could not suit Pakistan and the history was testimony to it without the slightest fear of contradiction. We have to prefer diplomacy over brinkmanship and spend our energies and limited resources on the welfare of our people.
The Parliament should take the full charge of the formulation and implementation of the foreign policy. Its inaction will entail culpability of delinquency and naivety. Parliamentary oversight on foreign relations and security issues is absolutely important if our policies to reflect the aspirations of the people of the country. The politicians as a representatives of the people must get united and force the institutions to be accountable and adhere to the policy given by the Parliament.
Institutions’ decisions on the foreign and security policies at their own had not yielded results consistent to national interests. The history of our foreign and security policies is immersed with embarrassments rather than achievements.
President Obama’s declaration should jolt our security establishment as he has made no bone in taking out high value targets in Pakistan in future as well. It means if a high value target is found in other provinces the possibility of drone attack is real. There is no chance of the international community expressing solidarity with our crying horse as a blatant infringement of the country’s sovereignty. The international community does not believe in country’s leadership because its track record falls short of the generally accepted criterion.
Pakistan cannot afford to be known for the wrong reasons only. No country can be deemed as respectable member of the international community that is isolated diplomatically. Pakistan is at the verge of the diplomatic isolation that requires immediate strategic public policy decision to reverse the emerging dangerous situation. Pakistan’s image is at stake that has been tarnished mainly due to hidden diplomatic and security policies. The elected government and the Opposition should rise above all their differences and huddle together to formulate a ‘Charter of Foreign Policy’ outlining the short term, medium term and long term foreign policy objectives to be achieved under the vigil of the Parliamentary Joint Committee. Civilian supremacy will ensure the promotion of national interests while functioning within the framework of accountability and transparency.
The institutions may now take back seat. They should undertake their responsibilities within the ambit of the Constitution. Domination of one institution over others becomes liability than an asset eventually. The track record of civilian rules in Pakistan for defending and promoting territorial integrity is impeccable.
To illustrate the point, not a single inch of Pakistan’s territory was occupied by the enemy country during civilian rules -- elected or appointed. All territorial losses were inflicted by enemy during autocratic rules. On the contrary, Gwadar was included in the landmass of Pakistan territory by the civilian prime minister. The quality of vision of civilian leadership can be judged from the acquisition of Gwadar from Oman. On the contrary, Siachin, Kargil and dismemberment of the country are the heart-wrenching legacies of the successive dictatorships reflective of their short-sighted and skewed up vision.
People of Pakistan have to be associated in foreign and security domains to save the nation of bracing the delirious consequences in future. Dictators have failed and failed miserably not only in Pakistan but also around the world. Imagine the international stature of Pakistan if the country has been under democratic rule since independence. Democracy always succeeds dictatorship never.
muhammadshaheediyahoo.com