Daily Times

Ambassador M. Alam Brohi having played his innings in the world of diplomacy to the brim and having successfully authored his first book -A Voice in the Wilderness: Memoirs and Reflections – has surprised me with his second so instantly. Writing ‘The Changing Global Geo-Political and Geo-strategic Dynamic: Challenges for Pakistan: Past and Present’, immediately after his first was indeed a very wise decision.

As a journalist for over 45 years, I have read many books on international relations and Pakistan’s foreign policy. No book on Pakistan foreign policy is possible without in-depth study of India-Pakistan relationship, contours of its history and various global, geo-strategic, regional and bilateral currents and cross currents. Ambassador Brohi being an insider of the Pakistan Foreign Service, who had access to records and having extensively researched too, his book is different from others. It is off the beaten track, more realistic and more practical than one could find other texts or books on Pakistan’s foreign policy written by well-known names. I would be absolutely right when I say his objectivity in facts, candidness in views may not be music for the ears of many security strategists.

Ambassador M. Alam Brohi has approached various global, regional and bilateral issues, currents and cross currents through the professional prism. Instead of archaic views, text book narrations, quotes-his is not a book. It is a well-written treatise, well researched, documented and anecdotal. He claims he has written this book for the benefit of students seeking their future through competitive examinations. Having read it objectively, I can say it with all seriousness that it is much more than that.

It comprehensively covers every aspect of Pakistan’s history, its roller-coaster politics, its socio-economic developments, extra-constitutional interventions, opportunistic role of judiciary and substitution of Pakistan’s social welfare and secular ideological moorings with that of a security state. The West Pakistan establishment in cahoots with the feudal vested interests supported by those religious parties that had opposed Pakistan waylaid the country away from its very clear and rational ideological path to a modern, secular and egalitarian democracy where all its citizens would be equal irrespective of caste, creed, colour and gender.

It is a well-written treatise, well researched, documented and anecdotal

Therefore, I am sure the book would be of great help to the students and teachers of international affairs. Its timing coincides well with the country’s decision to reframe Pakistan’s foreign policy in the light of US President Donald Trump’s diatribe against Pakistan and the need of the hour being new adjustments and realignments for facing emerging challenges.

Ambassador Brohi has dealt in detail Pakistan’s relations with the US. He has put a lot of labour in tracing history, difficulties, challenges and Pakistan’s abuse by Washington. To understand more Pakistan’s relations with the US -especially when they are at their lowest ebb today- one would like to refer to two extremely relevant books that represent a period when Pakistan was best of allies with Washington -President Mohammad Ayub Khan’s ‘Friends Not Masters’ and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s ‘Myth of Independence’. On the opening page of his book, Ayub Khan wrote that “People in developing countries seek assistance, but on the basis of mutual respect: they want to have friends not masters”.

Ambassador Brohi has discussed two different views and explanations rooted in history regarding the how and why of the initiation of Pakistan-American relationship. He says it in so many words and I believe that Pakistan was Anglo-American centric from its inception, and that to get allied with the United States was natural. It had at the Partition a British knighted Foreign Minister – very professional and one of the best in the world. He along with his British-centric Foreign Office hierarchy was very keen to have Pakistan affiliated with Washington. Thus, there was a bias when it came to diplomatic ties with two superpowers. Historically it has been proved that Moscow’s invitation to Prime Minister Liaqat Ali was subverted by the pro-Anglo-American bureaucrats manning the Foreign Office.

Late Bhutto as Pakistan’s Foreign Minister changed the direction of foreign policy and diversified defense procurement. He took Pakistan closest to China.

Ambassador Brohi has objectively discussed the Sino-Pakistan relations, its history and development to heights as termed ‘higher than Himalayas’ by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. His appreciation of Chinese patience and consistency in sustaining relations with Pakistan, is noteworthy, and puts the entire gamut of Sino-Pakistan relationship in correct perspective dealing in detail with the latest “Game Changer CPEC”. However, one would like to dispel the impression that Chinese would rush their troops in aid of Pakistan in case of war with India. There is no precedence to show that China has done so in support of any friendly country. In our times their policy is manifested in the philosophy of economic growth as embodied in CPEC or One Belt One Road Initiative.

Pakistan’s foreign policy since its inception is India-centric. Bhutto developed nuclear bomb secretly and his daughter Benazir Bhutto clandestinely brought blueprints for the manufacture of nuclear-war head carrying missiles out of our fear of Indian aggression. Kashmir issue until resolved would remain a Damocles’ sword on our heads. Present leadership on both sides, shall have to rise to height of statesmanship shown by Bhutto and Indira Gandhi at Shimla in 1972. Finally, I believe fundamentals of any foreign policy are determined by geo-politics. Late Bhutto believed that Pakistan’s geo-strategic location shall keep it for all times as the key player in the region. However, first priority in relations has to be the neighbours. We sought friends nearly 10,000 miles away while fostering roller-coaster ties with immediate neighbours. Ambassador Brohi rightly places more emphasis on good relations with neighbours. Published by Royal Book Company

The writer is former high commissioner of Pakistan to the UK

Published in Daily Times, March 26^th 2019.