Foreign Policy Of Pakistan

1.1. INTRODUCTIONIt goes without saying that foreign policy of Pakistan has been determined merely by itsnational interests. The geopolitical factors, political aspirations, the need for economicdevelopment and ideology of Pakistan are the most significant determinants of theprocess of foreign policy formulation. National interest oriented foreign policy isgenerally used as a tool by a particular state in order to deal with other states of the globefor the sake of its economic development, security, trade, commerce, culture andtechnology etc. Pakistan's foreign always strives to ensure a secure and peacefulenvironment which is a prerequisite of socio-economic development at home and in theregion as well. This objective accords with the vision of the father of the nation Quaid-iAzam Mohammad Ali Jinnah to build Pakistan into an enlightened and modern welfarestate consistent with Islamic values. Also, since its beginning, Pakistan has firmlybelieved in a global system based on respect for international norms and principles of theUN Charter. Such a system can ensure peace, progress and development, especially theresolution of international disputes.Official NameCapital CityLand AreaCurrent PopulationCurrencyLargest CityPresidentPrime MinisterNational LanguageIslamic Republic ofPakistanIslamabad796,096 sq. km203,349,821Pakistani RupeeKarachiArif AlviImran KhanUrduThe foreign policy is reflective of the ethos of the people and domestic environment. Ithas to respond to events occurring and circumstances beyond geographical frontiers.Under the changing circumstances, there are so many other issues such asglobalization, democracy, human rights, extremism and the overall environment havemade their way to the centre stage of global consideration. Economic diplomacy isassuming greater importance in planning and execution of foreign policy. It is mostlyfocused on the pursuit of promoting stability, economic growth, poverty alleviation,human resource development and projection of state as a strong, dynamic and moderateentity. It is considered as a comprehensive political activity of a state. It goes withoutsaying that a decent foreign policy can lead a country towards progress, prosperity,development and acquire respectable position among the nation-states of the world aswell. Indeed, Pakistan has always tried to design a balanced foreign policy and developfriendly and cordial relations with all the countries of the world. In this context, thevision of the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah is worthmentioning. He expressed:4

“Our foreign policy is one of friendliness and goodwill towards all thenations of the world. We do not cherish aggressive designs against anycountry or nation. We believe in the principle of honesty and fair play innational and international dealings and are prepared to make our utmostcontribution to the promotion of peace and prosperity among the nations ofthe world. Pakistan will never be found lacking in extending its material andmoral support to the oppressed and suppressed peoples of the world, and inupholding the principles of the United Nations Charter.”Since its inception, the foreign policy of Pakistan has gone through different stages ofdevelopment while dealing with the regional and global powers on the one hand andresponding to the varying political alignments inside the state on the other. In the firstphase, it was an independent foreign policy in the sense that Pakistan was not formallyaligned to any bloc. Pakistan’s leadership initiated contacts with other countries,emphasizing friendship with all, promotion of peace and harmony, support for liberationof the colonized people, and a strict observance of the principles of international conductas enshrined in the UN Charter. In 1954, the second phase started with a formalalignment with the West, which paradoxically coincided with the establishment of adialogue with China. The meeting of Prime Ministers of Pakistan and that of China atBandung was historic, because it had them the first ever opportunity to understand eachother. It was almost a decade later that Pakistan could put through its case to the SovietUnion. Pakistan’s foreign policy entered its third phase with Sino-Indian border clashesin 1962. It was a policy of dual alignment. While clinging to the benefits accruing fromits alignment with the West, Pakistan strengthened its informal relationship with China.This paradoxical twist of diplomacy, tolerated to some extent by the West, reached itsclimax during the Indo-Pakistan conflict. The Soviet Union came on the scene in a way inthe wake of the Tashkent Declaration. In the fourth phase an independent approach to theworld affairs initiated by its leadership with a strategy of bilateralism and nonalignment.It was an era of marked by mutual interests rather than permanent alignment. Pakistantried to establish its mutual relations with the global and regional powers keeping in viewits national interests. On the one hand, it tried to maintain its foreign relationship with theU.S. while on the other hand, cultivated its relationship with the Soviet Union and China.It was not a policy of equidistance from these states but emphasized reciprocity ofinterests at the bilateral level without alienating one for the sake of the other. Pakistan’sforeign policy entered its fifth phase with the soviet military intervention in Afghanistanin December, 1979. Pakistan demanded the withdrawal of Soviet troops fromAfghanistan and supported the Afghan groups, described as Afghan Mujahideen, in theirbid to dislodge the Soviets from Afghanistan. It allowed them to function from Pakistaniterritory and accommodated over 3 million Afghan refugees who poured into Pakistanwithin a year of Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan. The Soviet militarywithdrawal from Afghanistan was the last mega event in this period. The sixth phase ofPakistan’s foreign policy was dominated by four major issues i.e. Pak-US relations, theAfghanistan problem, the Kashmir insurgency and its impact on Indo-Pakistan relations,and the nuclear explosions. However, with the tragic incident of September 11, 2001, theforeign policy of Pakistan entered its seventh phase which was mainly dominated by the5

issue of counter terrorism. This incident was a critical threshold in the foreign policy ofPakistan. Indeed, “9/11 came as a thunderbolt”. Regarding these sudden changes the thenPresident of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf expressed that the incident of 9/11 broughtunprecedented challenges for Pakistan, which demanded to “absorb external pressure andmould domestic opinion”. Since then Pakistan is an active player in the global efforts forcombating religious extremism and terrorism with a policy that extremism and terrorismpose serious threats to global security as well as to Pakistan's internal peace, stability andeconomic development. Pakistan has made some difficult decisions in pursuing counterterrorism and for ensuring peace and stability in the immediate neighborhood in order toboost its image at the international level, restore international confidence in the ability ofthe Pakistani state and government to put their socio-economic house in order, and shapeup as a democratically oriented, modern and enlightened Muslim polity that does notallow its territory to be used by extremist groups.1.2. DEFINITION OF FOREIGN POLICY OF PAKISTANThe term foreign policy has been defined in various ways by different scholars andexperts. However, they are certain that it is concerned with behavior of a state towardsother states. Hermann for instance, defined foreign policy as “the discrete purposefulaction that results from the political level decision of an individual or group ofindividuals. It is the observable artifact of a political level decision. It is not the decision,but a product of the decision.”According to G. Modelski, Foreign policy is “the system of activities evolved bycommunities for changing the behaviour of other states and for adjusting their ownactivities to the international environment. Foreign policy must throw light on the waysstates attempt to change, and succeed in changing the behaviour of other states.”Joseph Frankel says, “foreign policy consists of decisions and actions, which involve tosome appreciable extent relations between one state and others”. By this, foreign policyinvolves set of actions that are made within state’s borders, intended towards forcesexisting outside the country’s borders. It comprises the formulation and implementationof a set of ideas that govern the behaviour of states while interacting with other states todefend and enhance their national interests.According to Padelford and Lincoln, “A State’s Foreign Policy is totality of its dealingswith the external environment. Foreign Policy is an overall result of the process by which astate translates its broadly conceived goals and interests into specific courses of action inorder to achieve its objectives and preserve its interests.” Thus, Foreign policy means goals,values and different instruments which the government uses in making relations withdifferent countries. Some things are important to take into account like, environment(international and domestic), available choices and resources before making foreign policy.Foreign policy comes out from the interaction of domestic and international systems.6

According to Encyclopedia of Britannica, “Foreign policy is the general objectives thatguide the activities and relationships of a state in its interactions with other states.However, the development of foreign policy is influenced by domestic considerations,the policies or behaviour of other states, or plans to advance specific geopolitical designs.Norman Kogan an eminent scholar of foreign policy believes that “the influence of thedomestic system on the process of foreign policy is so dominant that it becomes difficultto make a distinction between the domestic and foreign policies. All policies areessentially domestic in the sense that they seek to attain domestic goal”.In the words of Huge Gibson, “foreign policy is a well-rounded comprehensive planbased on knowledge and experience for conducting the business of government with restof the world. It is aimed at promoting and protecting the interests of the nations. Thiscalls for a clear understanding of what those interests are and how far we hope to go withthe means at our disposal. Anything less than this, falls short of being a foreign policy.”In view of such a variety of definitions it may be concluded that foreign policy isgenerally consisting of three parts i.e. (i) the ‘end’, (ii) the ‘ways’ and (iii) the ‘means’.The end consists of a vision of a desired outcome or set of interests in interacting withanother state. The ways consist of the strategies and ideas (e.g. diplomatic tactics,coercion), to pursue these desired interests. While the means, consist of the availableresources at a state’s disposal (e.g. economy, military). Thus, a foreign policy is a visionof a desired outcome or set of interests in interacting with another state, the strategies andideas used in achieving these goals, and the available resources at a state’s disposal, inguiding its interaction with other states.However, foreign policy should be based on rationality and in its close consonance withthe grand strategy, security and domestic policy of a state. It should be neither static norso rigid. It means that foreign policy changes in nature, scope and orientation from timeto time as per the long, mid, and short-term requirements of a country’s objectives,national interests and the dictates of domestic and international environment. It shouldalso be noted that states do not operate in vacuum, they operate as the members of alarger community of states having international obligations. The rapidly changingcircumstances such as technological advancement, globalization, modernism, materialand tangible development have affected foreign policy thinking and the conduct ofdiplomacy in a fundamental way. Globalization has also bound the fate of planet and thepeople living on it together. Hence, factors such as the promotion of international peace,amity and respect for international norms and international law also have considerableimportance in shaping the foreign behaviour of a state.Regarding the foreign policy of Pakistan, the constitution of 1973 in its article 40comprehensively mentions that:“The State shall endeavour to preserve and strengthen fraternal relations amongMuslim countries based on Islamic unity, support the common interests of thepeople of Asia, Africa and Latin America, promote international peace and7

security, foster goodwill and friendly relations among all nations and encouragethe settlement of international disputes by peaceful means.”The guiding principles of Pakistan's foreign policy are based on the internationallyrecognized principles and norms of interstate relations, which include the sovereignequality of all countries, non-interference in the internal affairs of other states, respect forthe sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states, non-aggression and the peacefulsettlement of disputes.1.3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF FOREIGN POLICY OFPAKISTANPakistan’s foreign policy reflects the hopes and aspirations of the people of Pakistan. Themajor aims and objectives of the Pakistan’s foreign policy have remained dynamic andflexible owing to the changing priorities of government, internal socio-political andeconomic dynamics, varying diplomatic and military strategies adopted for the pursuanceof national interest, and the dynamic nature of international relations. To sum up, theaims and objectives of Pakistan’s foreign policy in the contemporary era are as under:1.The primary objective of Pakistan’s foreign policy is to safeguard the nationalsecurity, territorial integrity and political sovereignty of the country.2.To protect Pakistan’s economic interests abroad.3.To project the image of Pakistan as a progressive, modern and democratic Islamiccountry.4.To promote peace, stability and friendly relations with Afghanistan.5.To find the resolution of all disputes with India including the issue of Kashmir.Raise the Kashmir issue on international forums.6.To forge cordial and friendly relations with all the neighbours, Muslim countriesand the larger international community.7.To fulfill its responsibilities as a responsible member of the internationalcommunity.8.To prevent and respond to threats and capitalize on opportunities.9.To safeguard the interests of Pakistani Diaspora.”It is evident from the vision of the founder of Pakistan and its constitution that the questfor global peace remains a cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy. Pakistan has alwaysbeen an important partner of the global community when it comes to the promotion andstrengthening of global peace. It has played an important role of a frontline state inending the menace of terrorism and extremism which has emerged as the mostdestructive threat to international peace in the present age.The aims and objectives of foreign policy can be categorized in the following threecategories i.e. core aims and objectives, middle range aims and objectives, and long rangeaims and objectives. The brief description of each is as under:8

Core Aims and ObjectivesThis category of aims and objectives includes sovereignty, autonomy, national interest,territorial integrity and well-being of the people of Pakistan. These must be pursued alltimes. Every state wants full autonomy and sovereignty of its own territory in order toplan out domestic and foreign policies. These objectives keep a state away frominfluence, coercion and the rule by other states. Acquisition of power provides influenceon other states. Protection and promotion of national interest is important. These are morepermanent in character. Compromise on any one of them will lead towards weakening offoreign policy.Middle Range Aims and ObjectivesThese are less immediate and require cooperation from other states like economic andsocial development. Economic conditions determine the status of a state in theinternational arena. Economically developed states play more effective roles. Economicprosperity can be achieved through an effective foreign policy. Social development isalso important. Through a successful foreign policy, states acquire economic prosperityand economic development leading towards the development of society. Not permanent,at one time co-operation with different states may not be co-operation forever.Long Range Aims and ObjectivesThese are least immediate; plans, dreams, political vision and ideology. Decision makershave enough time to think and develop and achieve these objectives. Time is noconstraint, there is enough time to think, plan and implement the policy.1.4. DETERMINANTS OF FOREIGN POLICYForeign policy formulation is an important and technical task. To design and frame acomprehensive and feasible foreign policy, each and every state strives to give properheed to all those factors which are directly and indirectly related to its formulation andsuccessful execution as well. A successful foreign policy enhances a nation’s power andprestige in the comity of nations. It includes such matters as security against aggression,development of higher standards of living and the maintenance of conditions of nationaland international stability. The factors which determine the foreign policy of a countrycan be classified as under:Internal FactorsForeign policy enables a state to establish its relations beyond the borders. A stateformulates its foreign policy to cater its multiplicity of interests which is only possible bybuilding strong and cordial relations with the international community. Foreign policy isa process of interaction

Pakistan, role of Quaid-e-Azam as the Governor General, constitution making and political crises, first martial law: government of Ayub Khan, separation of East Pakistan, Pakistan people party/ government of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, period of Zia-ul-Haq, journey of democracy from 1977 to 1999, and the rule of General Pervez Musharraf and aftermath.