Spare a thought or two for the foreign office

No man is an island – nations can afford isolation even less so

“India is more active in establishing diplomatic relations on the international front,” said Political Analyst Hasan Askari while talking to DNA.

Pakistan’s relations with its neighbouring countries have been dwindling due to lack of a proper foreign policy and a missing foreign minister.

Lack of consensus between civil and military leadership has led to an increase in the rifts between Pakistan’s relation with India, US, Afghanistan, and Iran.

The United States and India recently signed an agreement which allows both parties to use each other’s land, air and naval bases and become allies to counter China’s growth in the South China Sea.

The improving ties between the two ‘super economies’ have made a strong impact on Pakistan and China.

The US had earlier imposed sanctions on India related to a nuclear test conducted in 1998 but the two took a leap forward in their relations by supporting the free flow of trade.

Events leading to Pakistan’s unprecedented isolation-

US Secretary of State John Kerry reiterates that Pakistan needs to ‘do more’ in order to curb terrorism and that Pakistan should not feel isolated by the upcoming talks between US, India, and Afghanistan.

However, Pakistan’s importance as an ally to the US nosedived and their relationship turned towards a regressive direction when the US congress decided to shrink the economic and military aid given to Pakistan to fight terrorism.

The US argues that Pakistan supports militant groups that are hostile to the US and its support for the Haqqani network is a direct threat to the peace and stability of the region.

The execution of Moti ur Rahman Nizami, leader of Jamaat-i-Islami party as well as other senior party members for the war crimes committed during 1971 also stirred an adverse impact on their relations.

On the other hand, Pakistan and India continue to bicker over the ownership of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (referred to as Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir by India) and India-Held Kashmir.

India openly opposes the development of the $46 billion China-Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC) that will be constructed in Balochistan and passes through Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

India believes that by developing a corridor passing through AJK, China considers it as a part of Pakistan.

The arrest of a spy belonging to Indian Intelligence’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) further fuelled the controversy that India plans to destabilise Balochistan in order to disrupt the construction of CPEC.

“The confession by Indian Navy Officer Kulbhushan Yadav is an evidence of how India is targeting Pakistan through terrorist activities,” said Nafees Zakaria, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

India was trying to deviate world’s attention from the atrocities being committed by its armed forces in Indian Held Kashmir, the spokesperson added.

The prospects of resolving the Kashmir issue through an agreement to talk from both sides were diminished when a separatist leader, Burhan Wani was killed by armed forces in India-held Kashmir leading to the killings of around 70 people.

However, instead of addressing the atrocities in IHK, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech took an aim at the unrest in Balochistan saying that the people there demanded independence from Pakistan and thanked him.

The United States State department assured Pakistan that it did not support PM Modi’s statement regarding independence for Balochistan.

“Modi’s remarks were a result of growing Indian frustration over cooperation between China and Pakistan,” said Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Hafizur Rehman.

“The Sharif government has a soft-corner for PM Modi and the Indian government,” said Mehmood-ur-Rasheed, Member of Punjab Assembly of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, while talking to DNA.

“The government should appoint a foreign minister who takes an aggressive approach towards India, particularly in the matter of Kashmir,” said Rasheed.

The Kashmir conflict is just one of the factors that have been contributing to the negativity between the two neighbours.

Pakistan also believes India’s involvement in Iran’s Chabahar port and its plan to develop a strategic partnership with Afghanistan is a direct threat to Pakistan’s stability and security.

“India is more active in establishing diplomatic relations on the international front,” said Political Analyst Hasan Askari while talking to DNA.

“India has been successful at developing economic and trade relations with US, Russia, and Iran,” said Askari.

“In Pakistan, there are only talks claiming that Pakistan is not isolated, but there are no changes in concrete terms,” added Askari.

“Pakistan claims that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif has maintained positive foreign relations so far but that cannot be a substitute for the need of a strategic approach,” said Askari.

In recent scenario, Pakistan is becoming increasingly isolated from most of its neighbouring countries.

Pakistan’s distinction between ‘good and bad Taliban’ and the allegations that claim Pakistan supports the Haqqani network is also affecting its relations with Afghanistan.

Furthermore, the construction on the Pak-Afghan Torkham Border in June caused clashes among the armed forces from both the sides revealing the tension that has been brewing between the two regions.

The relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan is evidently filled with disagreements. Despite the ongoing differences, Pakistan has not yet tailored a real policy to engage with Afghanistan and the two parties have not been able to reach consensus on a strategy regarding counterterrorism.

On the other hand, Pakistan’s relations with Bangladesh have also been far from ideal as the relationship between the two countries has become polarised.

The execution of Moti ur Rahman Nizami, leader of Jamaat-i-Islami party as well as other senior party members for the war crimes committed during 1971 also stirred an adverse impact on their relations.

“Failure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the lack of a foreign minister is a contributing factor to the unprecedented events that led to increasing isolation of Pakistan,” said Mehmood-ur-Rasheed, while talking to DNA.

“The government has a non-serious approach towards foreign issues and no priority is given to maintain diplomatic relations with other countries,” Rasheed added.

“The government needs to consider the fact that Iran, despite being a Muslim country, is associating with India instead of Pakistan,” said Rasheed.

Pakistan must develop a strategic and effective diplomacy to deal with escalating foreign relations, while also focusing on economic development.

Pakistan needs to evaluate areas that address the concerns of US and re-establish connections.

A balance between the civil and military leadership on developing a foreign policy will provide a solid basis for an immediate uplift in diplomatic ties.