Challenges to Pakistan’s Foreign Policy: Part 1 –

CSS Pakistan Affairs

Overview
Pakistan has, since birth, been faced with one crisis after another. The tense geopolitical
environment created by hostile India and unfriendly Afghanistan was the motivating factor
which impelled our leaders to accord preference to security over developing institutions
and strengthening the economy. Security concerns governed our foreign policy. (CSS
Pakistan Affairs)

Ongoing fast changing global dynamics and ever growing strategic partnership between
USA and India has impelled Pakistan policy makers to revisit the foreign policy

Pakistan joined Western pacts mainly to find an umbrella to mitigate its security concerns.
But the US never became a trustworthy and sincere ally, as was the case of former the
Soviet Union with India. The western pacts proved elusive when Pakistan was truncated
in 1971.

India had been working upon East Bengal since 1948 with the aim of subverting the minds
of Bengalis and poisoning their minds against people of West Pakistan through an
orchestrated subversion plan. It wanted to disprove Two-Nation theory. India in collusion
with former the Soviet Union and supported by several other countries hatched the gory
plan of the dismemberment of Pakistan.

After nine months insurgency, Indian military jumped in to cut Pakistan to size and create
Bangladesh. Indira Gandhi chortled that Two-Nation theory had been sunk into the Bay
of Bengal.

Read more: Is Panama gate a foreign conspiracy to derail Pakistan? Part I

In the aftermath of 9/11, another international conspiracy was hatched to dismember
Pakistan.

This time the conspiracy was much larger in scope and more dangerous in intent.
Pakistan was to be befriended and then cut into four quasi-states. In this, India is being
supported by USA, Afghanistan, Britain, Israel and the West in general. The tools in use
are TTP, BLA, BRA, BLF, MQM and segment of media bolstered by bloggers, foreign
paid NGOs and international media. Daesh is the latest group added to their arsenal.

The goals are to destabilize, de-Islamise, denuclearize and balkanize Pakistan using
covert means and psychological operations.
Pakistan was made to fight terrorism on its soil, then accused of harboring terrorists in
safe havens in FATA and aiding cross border terrorism in Afghanistan, occupied Kashmir
and India, and then constantly pressed to do more. The terrorist groups in FATA,
Baluchistan were funded, equipped and trained to fight and exhaust Pak security forces.
MQM was funded and its militants trained in India to make Karachi lawless.

Between 2004 and 2008, Indo-Pak relations improved as a result of the peace treaty and
resumption of dialogue, giving rise to optimism that core disputes will be resolved

India and Afghanistan were projected as victims of terrorism and Pakistan as an incubator
of terrorism. The covert war launched from Afghan soil in 2002 has incurred a loss of
60,000 fatalities, injuries to tens of thousands, destruction of property, $ 118 billion
financial loss and immense social trauma. Pakistan has come under a foreign debt of $70
billion.

The US imposed War on Terror has heightened ethnicity, sectarianism, extremism,

provincialism, political instability, economic fragility and moral degeneration of society as
a whole.

Read more: Is Panama gate a foreign conspiracy to derail Pakistan? Part II

As a result of these frailties, Pakistan which is a nuclear power with robust armed forces
that are second to none has abundant resources and resilient manpower, it has become
vulnerable to foreign coercion, manipulation, and aggression.

Of all the crisis faced by Pakistan in its 70 years history, the present one is perhaps the
most dangerous, both in terms of its nature and its possible consequences. Without a
doubt, Pakistan is in the vortex of grave dangers and the country today stands at the cusp
of survival and disaster. The Titans that have marked Pakistan as a target are impatient
to fragment it.

Pakistan’s Foreign Policy

Having given the background and overall geopolitical environment, I shall now discuss
the five stages through which Pakistan’s foreign policy has moved forward to confront
multiple challenges.

Quaid-e-Azam MA Jinnah had spelt out Pakistan’s foreign policy soon after the birth of
Pakistan in these words:

“Our objective should be peace within and peace without. We want to live peacefully and
maintain cordial and friendly relations with our immediate neighbors and with world at
large. We have no aggressive designs against any one. We stand by the United Nations
Charter and will gladly make our contribution to the peace and prosperity of the world.”
“Our foreign policy is one of the friendliness and goodwill towards all the nations of the
world. We do not cherish aggressive designs against any country or nation. We believe
in the principle of honesty and fair-play in national and international dealings, and are
prepared to make our contribution to the promotion of peace and prosperity among the
nations of the world. Pakistan will never be found lacking in extending its material and
moral support to the oppressed and suppressed peoples of the world and in upholding
the principles of the United Nations Charter.”

Read more: Is political instability rocking the Pakistani Boat?

Indo-Pak relations have hit rock bottom after Modi led BJP regime espousing Hindutva
came to power in June 2014

Pakistan opened diplomatic relations with all the countries of the world except Israel
owing to Palestinian dispute. Successive regimes made concerted efforts to normalize
relations with India but failed because of unresolved Kashmir dispute and India not
reconciling to the existence of Pakistan. In its desire to become the unchallenged big
power of South Asia, India whipped up frenzy against all its neighbors. It applied multiple
pressures on Pakistan and went to war thrice so as to force Pakistan to accept its
hegemony and become its vassal state.

Pakistan in search of security and recognition

Pakistan started its journey as a nonaligned nation and remained the member of Non-
Aligned Movement from 1947 till 1954. In the first 15 years of Pakistan’s life, the founding
leaders remained deeply engrossed in establishing credentials of Pakistan’s statehood in
the face of massive propaganda of India that Pakistan was a monstrosity.

Pakistan was up against Indo-US-Israeli nexus geared toward destroying Kahuta plant

It was described as a transient phenomenon and Indian economic wizards had given six
months life to Pakistan. International recognition was sought and obtained in those
agonizing years.

In its formative years, Pakistan attached importance to relations with Muslim countries
and championed Muslim causes. Its efforts to build Muslim unity couldn’t make any
headway. It cultivated special ties with Iran, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.

Pakistan joined Western pacts

Aggressive posturing of India, its expansionist designs and intentions to absorb Kashmir,
together with Afghanistan’s enmity, former USSR’s heavy tilt towards India, deepening
economic crisis in early 1950s, sense of isolation, and the UN and Commonwealth failing
to resolve the Kashmir dispute were some of the reasons which impelled Pakistan to join
the US created SEATO and Baghdad Pact/CENTO in 1954/55. Thereon, its foreign policy
was governed by the US interests.

Read more: Pakistan’s route to safety: Revision of the Afghan policy

9/11 changed the global politics and Pakistan was once again befriended by the USA and
made a coalition partner to fight the global war on terror as a frontline state

Pakistan became part of the US defensive arc stretching to Iran and Turkey to contain
the spread of communism in South Asia and the Middle East. Pakistan did so despite the
fact that it had no direct clash with USSR, and had to pay a heavy price for it. When
Pakistan acted as a conduit in 1971 to bring China closer to the USA, it further
antagonized Moscow and it decided to teach Pakistan a lesson.

Alignment with the USA however, helped Pakistan in improving its economy and defense
capability phenomenally during the 10-year Ayub’s golden era.

Tilt towards China

After the Indo-Sino border clash in 1962, in the wake of Moscow, Washington and the
West providing arms to India at the cost of disturbing the regional military balance, Ayub
Khan started tilting towards China and Russia. This move was seen as an act of defiance
by the USA and it decided to penalize him. The US discriminatory attitude was discernible
in the 1965 War with India when it stopped extending economic and military assistance
including the supply of spare parts, whereas Russia kept supplying arms to India.

It is believed that both ZA Bhutto and Sheikh Mujib were cultivated to trigger agitations in
both the wings to bring down Ayub regime and then pave the way for dismemberment of
Pakistan in 1971.

Read more: Pakistan may be declared ineligible for the international loans soon
Southwestern Asian Identity and policy of Bilateralism
After the 1971 tragedy, ZA Bhutto scrapped SEATO pact and membership of
Commonwealth stating that those had proved worthless. He then tried to carve out
Southwest Asian identity so as to draw economic strength and security from oil rich Arab
States. This tilt towards the Gulf States brought in financial bonanza and job opportunities
for Pakistan in the 1970s and also gave an opportunity to Pak military to make inroads
into the GCC States. Saudi Arabia never hesitated to extend financial support to Pakistan
in its testing times.

After the breakup of USSR in 1991 and end of Cold War era, Pakistan was faced with
multiple foreign policy issues

Another change in Pakistan’s foreign policy was affected by the Simla agreement in 1972
which led to the policy of bilateralism and non-alignment. Ceasefire line in Kashmir was
renamed as LoC and Kashmir issue put on the back burner. India however, maintained
its belligerent policy and carried out the nuclear test at Pokhran in August 1974, which
impelled ZA Bhutto to go nuclear.

Afghan war (1980-1989)

Pakistan-US relations nosedived when Pakistan under Gen Ziaul Haq was put under
sanctions in April 1979 by Carter regime on account of suspicion that it was pursuing
nuclear program covertly. However, the Afghan war in 1980s once again made Pakistan
a close ally of USA and was bestowed with $3.5 billion assistance and F-16 jets.

Pakistan had to face Russo-Afghan-India nexus and Al-Zulfiqar terrorism (militant wing of
PPP). The Afghan war brought Pakistan coolness in Pak-Iran relations but brought
Afghanistan under Mujahideen very close to Pakistan. Both talked of providing strategic
depth to each other.

Read more: What if Kulsoom Nawaz doesn’t win from NA-120?

Pakistan’s challenges in Post-cold war era
After the breakup of USSR in 1991 and end of Cold War era, Pakistan was faced with
multiple foreign policy issues. The US abandoned Pakistan, imposed sanctions on it
under Pressler Amendment and befriended India.

Pakistan was up against Indo-US-Israeli nexus geared toward destroying Kahuta plant.

ZA Bhutto and Sheikh Mujib were cultivated to trigger agitations in both the wings to bring
down Ayub regime and then pave the way for the dismemberment of Pakistan in 1971

The other issue was the fallout effects of the Afghan war in the form of Kalashnikov and
drug cultures, the load of 3.5 million refugees, the radicalization of the society and
sectarianism fomented by Iran and Saudi Arabia.

The other was the armed uprising in occupied Kashmir which forced India to pump in
750,000 security forces to quell the insurgency and to propagate that Pakistan was
abetting it.
Pakistan had to bear with the domino effect of Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988).

And lastly, nuclear explosions by the two arch rivals in May 1998. These challenges made
the democratic era weak and uninspiring. Despite being repeatedly betrayed, Pakistan
didn’t deem it fit to diversify its foreign policy and kept its hopes alive to get into the good
books of USA.

Read more: The Afghan end game – military action or political activism?
Impact of 9/11
9/11 changed the global politics and Pakistan was once again befriended by the USA and
made a coalition partner to fight the global war on terror as a frontline state. Pakistan for
a second time shifted all its eggs in the basket of USA.

The USA helped Pakistan in improving its economy and defense capability phenomenally
during the 10-year Ayub’s golden era

Between 2004 and 2008, Indo-Pak relations improved as a result of the peace treaty and
resumption of dialogue, giving rise to optimism that core disputes will be resolved.
Euphoria died down after the Mumbai attacks in November 2008 when India blamed
Pakistan. Indo-Pak relations have hit rock bottom after Modi led BJP regime espousing
Hindutva came to power in June 2014.

Ongoing fast changing global dynamics and ever growing strategic partnership between
USA and India has impelled Pakistan policy makers to revisit the foreign policy and
suitably modify it to meet the future challenges.

Courtesy: Asif Haroon Raja