THE Robust Change in Foreign Policy has started bearing fruit for Pakistan since the countries like the US and Russia have appreciated Pakistan’s role in peace process as well as in the War on Terror. The recent request from US President Donald Trump to bring the Taliban to negotiating table heralds that Pakistan’s Foreign Office has done a tremendous job in bringing the diplomatic relations with the US to normalcy. The Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and his team has played a pivot role to melt the ice between US and Pakistan to pave the way for regional cooperation especially in US’ planned phased withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Unfortunately, in the previous PML-N Government, a great vacuum was created due to non-appointment of Foreign Minister that led to the isolation of Pakistan. The current PTI government has been successful in realignment and redesign of External Policy as well as internal policy.
The World has started to appreciate the positive image projected by PTI Government under PM Khan. Undoubtedly, a new chapter of peaceful Pakistan has been unfolded where the peace has a central role to play. The opening of Kartarpur Corridor, peace efforts for Afghanistan quagmire and propagating peaceful settlement for IoK on the basis of UN resolutions will certainly bear fruit and carve the way of progress and economic boom for crises-ridden Pakistan. The Foreign Policy of any country can play a great role in building the relations of nations on the basis of equality, friendliness and mutual cooperation in the hours of need. The history is stalled with several instances of diplomatic stalemate that led the countries to the hostile decisions and the poor people of the respective countries bear the brunt of hostile rulers or the leaders.
It is ironic that Pakistan’s Foreign Policy has never been crafted as per the national interests or mutual interests rather it was driven by individual priorities which were never fruitful for the country or for the countrymen. The First Prime Minister of Pakistan Liaquat Ali Khan’s refusal to the invitation extended by Russia and preferring US visit echoes that how diplomatic relations have rise and fall in the history of Pakistan. During the political transition, especially during the Bhutto regime, we can ascertain that Bhutto’s legacy was to influence the Muslim world and aimed at uniting the Islamic countries against the bipolar world. The foreign Policy during last PML –N Government remained worst since there was no Foreign Minister for almost four years and Sartaj Aziz who was inducted as Advisor to PM on Foreign Affairs, failed miserably since he could not perform effectively owing to his limited authority for engagement with the world powers.
India had outplayed Pakistan by propagating Foreign Policy options and Americans’ inclination towards India was witnessed apparently by the world because of the vacuum created by weaker foreign policy. Luckily, the diplomatic relations in the existing circumstances have been very effective due to PTI’s effective implementation of External Policy to engage with world powers including the all-weather friend China. The Prime Minister’s visits to Saudi Arabia, China, UAE and Turkey have painted a positive image of Pakistan globally and even in his poll victory speech had drawn the attention of World that Pakistan intends to enjoy friendly and peaceful relations with the world especially China, Iran, Afghanistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, US, Central Asian States, Middle and the Far East.
Imran Khan’s speech was also welcomed by India since he had offered India to initiate strategic dialogue to restart the stalled talks. The gesture received positive welcome throughout the world especially from the Sikh community of India. The Indian response was disappointing as the Indian Foreign Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj went on to say that do not link the Kartarpur Corridor with peace talks since it has nothing to do with diplomatic engagement and she categorically rejected the possibility of dialogue leaving the PTI leadership in dismay. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has so far played the instrumental role by visiting Kabul and holding the meeting with President Ashraf Ghani to ensure Pakistan role in peace building process especially the US phased withdrawal plan and influencing the Taliban to come to negotiating table.
With Russia taking lead in hosting the Afghan Taliban moot after almost 30 years of Afghan invasion with an aim to find a peaceful political solution to the Afghan mess. Historically, the Soviet Union was disintegrated after sustaining a humiliating defeat at the hands of Afghan Mujahedeen and insurgent groups. The US has fought the longest war ever in Afghanistan but consequently lost the war morally that prompted it to pull out its forces out of Afghanistan in phases so that civil administration may take the charge of Security. That is really a tragic and dismal end to US-Afghan war since the US mission remained impossible due to strong Taliban. Trump Administration followed the aggressive policies that led them to isolation. Trump’s request was welcomed by the Civil-Military Leadership of Pakistan as Pakistan has always advocated political solution to the Afghan conflict. Pakistan has also played an effective role in so-called War on Terror and will continue to play its part in bringing peace to Afghanistan. Pakistan will use its all resources to bring Taliban on negotiating table given the request from President Donald Trump.
Pakistan will keep on playing its role for peace in Afghanistan since it’s in the best interest of the country to secure its borders especially the trade routes of CPEC. Pakistan’s surging balance of Payments issue was resolved with the assistance of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and China which is the result of the robust and reshaping of Foreign Policy making it independent based on equality. Pakistan’s recrafted and redesigned Foreign Policy serves its interests in the best manner and all credit goes to PM Imran Khan, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and his Foreign Office team for projecting the positive image of Pakistan in the world.
— The writer is freelance columnist, based in Sindh.
Source: https://pakobserver.net/robust-change-in-pak-foreign-policy/