International relations have the same paradigm as the family relations have. In family relations, people have strongly connected with those where they have vested interests. The international relations work on the national and strategic interests. The diplomacy, national power, balance of power, culture, military power, and economy are the key ingredients of foreign policy.
But it is really an intricate and complex matter to understand the international affairs without knowing the real and unbiased history of the world. This is not possible that someone can understand the Middle East without knowing the Ottoman Umpire, imperialism, British colonialism, the role of Islam, the role of Cold war, and war on terrorism. Similarly, how someone can grasp the contemporary complexities and complications in Pakistan without understanding the history and Pakistan’s priorities of international relations in the region as well as in the world.
The current Pakistan’s foreign policy is based on the confusion and complications. There is a trouble through bewildering and puzzling array of alarums, aggravation, provocation, annoyance, reassurances and trite remedies and nostrums offered by the political pundits. It is not clear that glass is half-full and rising or half empty, cracked, leaking the liquid fast.
Foreign policy is the master plan that has strategies of protecting national interest in the milieu of international arena. In this age of globalization and inter connectedness of nation states, vibrant foreign policy is the need of hour in order to endure the lashes of globalization on one hand and enjoy its perks on the other. International relations of Pakistan have been in melancholy and doldrums due to number of factors. The main factor is that Pakistan’s foreign policy isn’t on its right route. Pakistan has been facing this challenge from the day of its inception. Later, Pakistan couldn’t develop its foreign policy in such a way through which Pakistan can get better repute and respect in the world. Our governments never took foreign policy as their priority. Pakistan couldn’t get success in Kashmir dispute just because of weak foreign policy. Pakistan is politically, culturally and economically unstable just because of its foreign policy. Pakistan couldn’t manage the good relations with its neighbor and even with the rest of the world due to loopholes in its foreign policy. The blunder was made by the government after 9/11, when the regional peace was deteriorated due the Afghan War and our policy was just to create the chaos in the region. After the support to the US against Afghanistan, Pakistan became the soil of terrorists and the whole world started to call Muslims ‘terrorists’. It was the failure of the foreign policy and still the Pakistan’s passport has no worth in the world.
The Muslims countries have been facing the conflicts among themselves. It is the most important thing for the only Muslim atomic power Pakistan to constitute its foreign policy in such a way to get the maximum benefit and work on the vested interest of Pakistan. It shouldn’t indulge itself in others war. Here the best diplomatic method would be adopted to behave with the neighbors to secure the rights of the country.
Foreign policy is associated with national power and strategic interests of Pakistan. It is actually the national external policy to work for the peace, security and prosperity and make the better image of Pakistan in the world.
In Pakistan, foreign policy is considered as the best tool of foreign aid. The nations that always wait for the aid can never be sovereign and stable
Why Pakistan isn’t making its foreign policy sound because they have not any appropriate ‘Think Tank’ to construct the policy in accordance with the time and need. Pakistan has a deficit of credible people at top management. No doubt, talent is existed, but there is no respect of talent in our country. Retired bureaucrats, generals, and judges have been allotted to construct such policies and I believe that if those old and retired people would be enough competent and loyal, Pakistan wouldn’t havesuch socio-political and economic miseries. So, government must consult to the universities having the degree programs of International Relations to conduct the real time researches to make the stable, effective and result oriented foreign policies.The universities of International Affairs and International Relations must be given the opportunities through their intellectual diversity and multiplicity, develop ties to the nonacademic world and promote the research in the area of foreign policy to bring reforms for the betterment of Pakistan in changing global environment. It is unfortunate that in Pakistan, still the diplomacy is conducted through fear, threats, pressure, ultimatums, and resolute reluctance for the durable outcome but in the global world it has become obsolete.
Pakistan has been facing the diplomatic pressure from the West and China to dismantle anti-Indian militant groups. But India has a clear Policy to defeat Pakistan at every forum. Due to the weak and poor foreign policy, Pakistan is considered as terrorist state and it lying on the grey list by FATF. Pakistan has been facing defeat at Kashmir dispute; it has not good relations with neighbors like Afghanistan, India, and Iran just because of weak foreign policy. Pakistan’s diplomacy towards Middle East is questionable. There is no clear direction towards the relationship with Saudia, Yemen, Iran, and Syria etc. Pakistani passport has lost its value just because of its bad foreign policy. Our exports are very less just because of the loopholes existed in foreign policy. Multinationals corporations have least interest to operate in Pakistan so FDI is also an issue. This is just because of the pitiable foreign policy. Pakistan isn’t in the position to get the looted money back to Pakistan. Bilateral trade and investments are never the priorities of Pakistan’s foreign policy. CPEC has become controversial. Water crisis is a challenge that can harm more than terrorism. All such issues existed due to bad foreign policy but still Pakistan is not concentrating on the practical, pragmatic and national interest based foreign policy.
The role of state in development and promotional strategies is the main theme of political and economic work. It is mandatory to consider that while making analysis of foreign policy and its function in the promotion of development, the foreign policy must be divided into two major segments namely economy and politics. Further, these two can be divided into lines of actions particularly related to enhance Pakistan’s economic growth. The foreign policy must be included the trade promotion, investment policy, financial, economic and commercial bargains and negotiations. As for as the political area is concerned, the lines of actions must be focused on resource exploration, international projection, and international cooperation. Turkish and Brazilian’s foreign policy can be the bench mark in Pakistan to reconstruct our foreign policy in the right direction. Turkish and Brazil’s foreign policy model were their tools to promote the economic development. The both countries have the different circumstances, but their international actions were common. Their major focus was the expansion of national business activities and multilateral trade. They have found new untraditional regions of actions, new opportunities globally for economic and political gains. Ultimately both the countries found to seek the maximum Foreign Direct investment that expanded their domestic economic activities.
In Pakistan, foreign policy is considered as the best tool of foreign aid. The nations that always wait for the aid can never be sovereign and stable. Pakistan can adopt their model of foreign policy to nourish its economic and political development.
The writer is a PhD scholar in media and crime; a CSS coach and an author of different books on international relations