Daily Times

If an individual or even a family lives in an unfriendly neighborhood, it is possible to change the neighborhood. If the accommodation is rented; just find another and shift. If the accommodation belongs to the occupant, he or she might suffer an economic loss but the shift is still doable.

Not so with a nation-state. Whether born in an unfriendly neighbourhood or whether neighbours have become unfriendly, a country is destined to live where it is. This is why the formulation of national policies begins with the neighborhood.

Pakistan was created linear north to south; which gave us extended flanks east and west. Our entire eastern flank is shared with India and the western one with Afghanistan and Iran. To the south lies the sea and the north provides a corridor to China. Pakistan is blessed — or cursed — with a strategic location. It lies at the junction of South Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and China.

However, to access each region it is dependent on the neighbour. For South Asia on India, for Middle East on Iran, and for Central Asia on Afghanistan. If, for some reason, Afghanistan is unavailable, the least illogical route from Central Asia via China, our sole current friendly neighbor, to Pakistan is still open.

Since our inception, India has been an unfriendly neighbour. With the noteworthy exception of Mr. Vajpayee’s courageous attempt to make peace with Pakistan, which was thwarted by the events of Kargil, Indian attitude towards Pakistan has varied only in the intensity of itsanimosity. The current Modi era seems to be its zenith in animosity so far.

Afghanistan could and should have been friendlier but, due to strategic errors on both sides of our border and, our ill-conceived Afghan refugee policy, it isn’t. Iran was, in fact, a true friend, from the day Pakistan took birth. We squandered the good will we had there.

We seek peace and friendship with all our neighbours. But, if one of them consistently rebuffs our friendship, so be it. Let us accept that we have to survive with one hostile, larger and more powerful neighbor on our eastern flank and make policies accordingly

It is in this regional environment that Imran has assumed the reigns of governance and, like others before him, reached out a hand of friendship to India, as well as other neighbours. We need to “make love not war”, with all our neighbors. Consistent with its past record, India rebuffed it. The trillion dollar question is: Isn’t this enough, at least as long as Modi and his ilk reign supreme in India? I definitely think so. Modi’s India has demonstrated its obduracy sufficiently.

Pakistan under Imran too, has stated its position. We seek peace and friendship with all our neighbours. But, if one of them consistently rebuffs our friendship, so be it. There is absolutely no need to belittle ourselves by continuing to reiterate it. Let us also accept that we have to survive with one hostile, larger and more powerful neighbor on our eastern flank and make policies accordingly.

There may be options of trade with India that can still be explored. If there are any feasible ones, by all means, explore and initiate them; but on goods and terms that we find worthwhile. Pharmaceutics are one. There may be others. Even if the balance of trade is in India’s favor, so long as it benefits our populace, without embarrassing us, why not? After all, the Sino-Indian trade has multiplied manifold, but is still 70-30 in favor of China.

If India wishes to continue trading with Afghanistan via Chahbahar, it’s welcome. But if it wants an East-West land corridor through Pakistan, it will be on our terms for goods that we inspect and permit passage to. If India doesn’t wish to play cricket with us, so be it. After the recent miserable display by our team, perhaps its best for our morale? If the Indian army chief wants to thump his chest like the village bully, let him do so.

Let us redouble our efforts to win over other neighbours, and even their neighbours. Afghanistan is the weakest of all our neighbors, militarily and economically. For that reason alone, we must assume responsibility for assisting it, in every way possible and even to the extent of taking some security risks. Our policy towards Afghanistan must be people friendly. Governments come and go. And, in Afghanistan’s case, the effective governance of all governments since 2001, has been confined to Kabul and its immediate surroundings. We must re-win the people of Afghanistan. How? Is another subject.

On Iran, we have come a long way, but there is far longer to go. We have a lot to make up for.

But, most of all, let us put our own house in order. Every single aspect of life in Pakistan needs desperate reformation. And, what has begun, does not appear well begun. The new economic policy has not even made a token effort to expand the tax base. The same number of tax payers will pay increased taxes. Indirect taxes have been raised. To survive in a constantly hostile environment, we need more imaginative and enterprising policies.

Old drudgery will not bring about a Naya Pakistan.

The writer is a retired brigadier. He is also former vice president and founder of the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI)

Published in Daily Times, September 30^th 2018.