Foreign minister in charge?
Whatever led to two very different statements from the foreign and defence ministers immediately following the BRICS stunner, Khwaja Asif has clearly taken the initiative. And however his appointment reflects on the civ-mil cleavage, the last few days have shown the potency of the foreign minister’s office. So we will have a reset, after all, of both internal and foreign policies relating to security, terrorism, Afghanistan, and all that it entails. Asif will follow the Beijing tour with trips to Russia, Iran and Turkey. Since these developments come at a time when all these countries, just like us, are on the wrong side of the Trump White House, it seems the new prime minister’s government has found common interest with an alliance that is shaping events from Eastern Europe to South Asia all the way to the Middle East. That is, of course, if we deliver on the reset, etc.
Now, there is very little any ‘establishment’, however allegedly opposed to such developments, can do should the foreign minister’s efforts generate enough momentum for the prime minister to seal the deal. And since the establishment, just like the rest of the country, is for CPEC and understands all that it requires, surely it would have realised the wisdom behind this reset. Hence, most likely, the quiet acceptance of Asif’s position despite the controversy. That’s all very well. Hopefully someone would also have given some thought to the complexities that are now going to arise. Just which policies, for example, will be part of this reset? How far back in time are we allowed to go to trace the roots of our problems, if at all? Or will it be limited to issues that we just cannot keep a lid over any longer?
In many ways part of the reset has already long been initiated. In an era, regretfully, of plenty of civil and mini wars, Pakistan’s effort has been far better than most countries’. We have smashed the enemy’s infrastructure in the badlands and driven most out of the country. Yet clearly some, if not much, of the rot remains. And there is plenty of sympathy, even in the general public, for radical outfits. And, most importantly, the government has yet to give any attention to the national narrative that was, according to NAP, supposed to form the bulwark of the fight against extremism. The finance minister has exhibited the reach of high office. The government should build on it, not just to clear our position abroad, but also to bolster democracy at home.
