The need for a foreign minister grows with each day
Irrespective of their manifold failures, what goes to the credit of the PPP and the PML-N administrations is that both tried to improve relations with India, Afghanistan and Iran. This was despite strong resistance from powerful circles in the country – particularly in the case of relations with India. Aware of the difficulties that stood in the resolution of disputes with India, the political leadership tried to create a lobby for peace across the border through people to people relations and expansion in trade ties. In the case of Afghanistan, they pressed for an end to the army’s doctrine of strategic depth which was the major irritant with Kabul. The PPP government signed the agreement for import of Iranian gas and Nawaz Sharif offered his offices to broker peace between Riyadh and Tehran.
This explains why at a time when Pakistan’s relations with the three countries are on the ebb, all the three heads of government have shown concern for Nawaz Sharif’s heart surgery. On the eve of Sharif’s hospitalisation both Narenra Modi and Ashraf Ghani tweeted, wishing him speedy recovery. As relations with Afghanistan hit the rock bottom with clashes on the Torkham border, former Afghan President Karzai called on Sharif in London. Both called for peaceful resolution of the issue. There is a perception that the statement helped in the opening of the border after a six day long closure.
Soon after President Rouhani visited Pakistan, mishandling of the Indian spy affair cast a shadow over the relations leading to complaints from Tehran. Subsequently, the Chabahar port agreement was interpreted by certain quarters in Pakistan as a ‘security threat’ and a ‘conspiracy against Pakistan’.
Rouhani has expressed satisfaction on Sharif’s fast recovery, described Pakistan as a friendly and brotherly neighboring country and praised Sharif for further deepening the relations. There is a need on the part of Sharif to appoint a full time foreign minister and to recover the ground in foreign relations lost to other institutions who, having no training in – or inclination for – diplomacy, have caused more problems than they have resolved.
Wrote an Editorial last week that even if we had a full-time Foreign Minister, the situation could not have been saved. We made repeated mistakes which enabled India, Afghanistan and Iran to come to an agreement. And all that did not happen overnight. Late but not too late.
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