The road ahead
This Independence Day found Pakistan more secure at home and less isolated abroad, which is always a welcome trend. Zarb-e-Azb had clearly dented the enemy’s command and control ability. There are welcome signs now that the operation might move down to urban areas with full force soon. The seriousness about ending terrorists ‘of all hues and colours’ has not gone unnoticed in capitals that matter. The Americans have finally dropped the ‘do more’ spoiler. Things are better, even if still not ideal, with the Afghans. The Iranians are reaching out. And talks with the Indians are on the agenda again.
Yet a lot of care will be needed to chart through these foreign policy issues as they develop. Now that the internal threat is being overcome, nothing will be more important for Pakistan’s survival on the road ahead than foreign, especially regional, policy. The equation with Kabul has already come under immense strain and it has once again taken assurances from the highest offices to sooth Afghan nerves for the moment. It is essential to build on the progress made so far. Otherwise both Islamabad and Kabul will lose the plot, since both have gambled on getting their intelligence agencies to cooperate more than anything else.
The Iranians have also come at an important time. With sanctions lifted, there is the possibility of cooperation in various fields, especially energy, which is the country’s biggest need on the path to progress. With the Chinese Corridor also playing out, Iranian investment in the Pakistani market will provide buoyancy to the local economy, especially border areas. Then there are the Indians. Islamabad has done the right thing by forwarding its own agenda ahead of the national security advisors’ meeting. As Pakistan mends fences with Afghanistan and looks to enhance business with Iran, the Indians must realise that they too have a lot to gain. Finding regional convergences will mark the great leaders in the modern era. And this region’s leaders, especially Pakistan’s, have now been put to test.
