Sarah Khan
Since Modi’s sworn as Prime Minister of India, hindu hypocrisy is at peak as his
foreign policy and diplomatic initiatives have taken dramatic strides in order
to strengthen relations with emerging states in the world. Though he is failing
bitterly at internal front due to rising communal riots and hindu extremism.
But on the external front, he has not only focused upon immediate neighbours
but sought close economic, military and technological cooperation with various
regional and extra regional states with special focus on limiting Pakistan’s regional
relevance. In few years, India’s political clout at regional and international
level has improved tremendously thus marring Pakistan’s political standing on
various regional issues. Especially with respect to Iran and Afghanistan,
Indian relations have improved and Pakistan’s ties with these two important
immediate neighbours are following a downward trajectory.
After Iran-US nuclear deal and lifting of US imposed
sanctions on Iran, Indian PM rushed to seize the opportunity by signing
Chabahar port pact with Iran. In May 2016, India pledged billions to develop Iran’s southeastern Chabahar port and help establish a free trade zone stretching toward
the Iran-Afghan border during the coming years. India plans to lease two docks at Chabahar for
a decade that would give it access to Afghanistan and Central Asian energy
markets – bypassing Pakistan. Moreover, in collaboration with Tehran and
Moscow, India is looking to create a vast network of enhanced connectivity with
the land-locked Central Asia and eventually Europe, through the International
North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). By developing Chabahar, India intends to counter deep sea port
Gawadar giving shortest possible sea-route to generate extra-regional economic
activity. Instead of betting on US backed India, Iran needs to enhance
cooperation with immediate neighbour Pakistan by building the long awaited
Iran-Pakistan gas.
Similarly,
shrewd Indian government is investing heavily in successive Afghan government
to undermine Pakistan’s influence in the country. It is providing arms and
financial assistance to Northern Alliance resulting in more internal tensions
between various warlords within Afghanistan. US is also granting front role to India
by replacing Pakistan in Afghanistan. India and its intelligence agencies in
collaboration with NDS are carrying out terrorist activities inside Pakistan
using Afghan soil. Same is being done from Iranian territory. Arrest of
Kulbushan Yadev is a case in point.
Due to
hostile Indian propaganda against Pakistan, relations have also seen all time
low in the recent past with few states of South Asia as well. In last SAARC
Finance Ministers’ conference held in Islamabad on 25 August 2016, Finance
Ministers’ of Nepal and Bangladesh also boycotted the conference alongwith
India. Their absence from SARRC conference being held in Pakistan suggests that
they are under strong influence of Indian policies in the region.
At
international level, Pakistan – US relations are again on downward trajectory
due to Indo-US defense cooperation and negation of defense cooperation and
limitation of counter terror cooperation. Thus, Pakistan is going slow or
infact backward in terms of its foreign relations. One major factor for this
degradation is absence of full time foreign minister to look after Pakistan’s
relations with regional and international states. Another important aspect is
lack of a coherent foreign policy. At present, Pakistan is entangled at
internal front due RAW’s nefarious support to Baloch and TTP militants. It is
simply following the trends set by regional and international players.
A famous
saying by Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu goes like “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to
victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” Pakistan’s tactics in the realm of foreign
affairs are without any strategy. In order to keep its regional relevance,
Pakistan needs to take following important steps. First,
improving ties with Iran and Afghanistan is the need of the hour. Growing
Indian influence will not limit Pakistan’s relevance but it will result in
various security related issues thus threatening the national security. There
have been several cases in the past where Indian RAW has used Iranian and
Afghan soil to create unrest inside Pakistan. By doing so, India is getting
double edged benefit: spoiling bilateral ties of Pakistan with Iran and
Afghanistan and creating desired unrest inside Pakistan by supporting
militants, terrorists and separatists. Second, improving ties and enhancing cooperation in
realms of economy and trade with South Asian states especially Nepal,
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will help Pakistan improve regional connections and
keep its relevance. Third, for Bangladesh there is a need to launch active
diplomatic efforts to undo the propaganda launched by India. Pakistan and
Bangladesh have so many commons including religion, culture and history to
build a strong bilateral relationship. Misperceptions created by Indian
propaganda can easily be wiped out through active diplomacy and enhancing
people to people contact. Fourth, Pakistan’s relations with US has always followed
up-down trajectory. Again in US, Indian lobby is strong enough to disseminate
anti-Pakistan perceptions. Having a relationship based on mutual cooperation
for decades, there is a need to widen convergences and bridge the divergences
in bilateral relations.
Above
all, in order to counter shrewd moves by Indian hypocrite lobby, Pakistan needs
to formulate a comprehensive foreign policy and appoint a visionary career
diplomat as foreign minister to put the foreign relation in order. In order to
keep regional relevance Pakistan needs to bring swift changes in diplomatic
sphere.
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