With new policy soundbites on India, Russia, America, Afghanistan, China and the Gulf, Pakistan seems to be embracing new geopolitical realities by recalibrating its foreign policy. Is Pakistan finally ready to shrug off its ‘old worldview’ as a holdover from the last century and ring in the ‘new thinking’ required to reinvent itself as a productive member of the international community? It appears so!
In recent weeks, there has been an unexpected turnaround in the official narratives of Pakistan on its otherwise rigid bilateral (India and Afghanistan) and multilateral (South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation, or Saarc) relationships in the region and with major international players influencing the developments in its neighbourhood.
Some of the boldest steps include peace overtures to India that seem to be confidence building measures to illustrate a firmer commitment to a more formalized engagement. The UAE ambassador to Washington confirmed recently that Dubai has been mediating between Islamabad and New Delhi in recent months to encourage the restoration of talks to break their hard ice.
The mediation is being credited with the surprise announcement of a ceasefire on hostilities alongside the Line of Control that divides the Himalayan region of Kashmir between the two South Asian states. This has taken another major step forward when the powerful Pakistan Army chief unexpectedly urged a reset of domestic policies that fuel confrontation with India and called for burying their historic enmity to move forward.
There is now talk of India agreeing to let Islamabad host the Saarc summit that will bring Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Islamabad. Delhi last week broke a decade long refusal to host the Pakistani cricket team in India by announcing it would issue visas for the Pakistani players and journalists to participate in the T20 world cup in India in the fall.
This is not all. There is Afghanistan with whom Islamabad has had testy relations that have see-sawed between bad and worse mainly around the issue of the pull-out of US troops after two decades. Both Kabul and Islamabad – as well as the Taliban – have in recent weeks dramatically improved their expectations and agreement of Pakistan’s proposed role in facilitating a peaceful political transition in Kabul.
Islamabad also seems to be addressing the concerns of Washington and Moscow – as well as Delhi – on the issue of the oversized influence of China in its foreign policy, toning down the language of its links with Beijing and a renewed deepening of engagement with the Gulf, particularly on the issue of Iran and Israel.
Adnan Rehmat
Islamabad is particularly expected to use its influence on the Taliban to stick to the broader agreement on a peace deal. The deal will see either a new unelected interim government that partly brings the Taliban in power along with the current principals or new elections that allow the Afghan electorate to elect a new government with broader representation with a mandate for inclusive peace.
Hopes have also been raised for a more peaceful post-US Afghanistan being supported by Russia, which is also expressing greater confidence in Pakistan’s proposed role after many years of sharing a common disdain for Islamabad’s influence in Kabul. There has been a dramatic uptick in Islamabad’s relations with Moscow. Pakistan hosted the Russian foreign minister last week with an agreement to boost defence and economic ties and to work together on the Afghan peace deal.
Islamabad also seems to be addressing the concerns of Washington and Moscow – as well as Delhi – on the issue of the oversized influence of China in its foreign policy, toning down the language of its links with Beijing and a renewed deepening of engagement with the Gulf, particularly on the issue of Iran and Israel. Pakistan has all but abandoned its pursuit of an ambitious gas pipeline deal with Iran and instead fast-tracked the alternative Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India (TAPI) gas pipeline and the Central Asia South Asia (CASA) electricity line that will allow an integrated energy grid that groups together Pakistan, India and Afghanistan as mutual beneficiaries. This is expected to lead to a transit trade agreement that can transform South Asia economically.
However, Pakistan may be trying to be too many things at the same time. Making the right choices and pacing them is key to surer and more tangible dividends. Changes to foreign policy alone will not do the trick. The state will have to align both its external and domestic policies to be able to carry off the transition to a responsible and respected regional power.
Pakistan’s strategic game plan seems to be finally jettison the politics of geo-strategic confrontation that is now a case of diminishing returns. Instead, Islamabad is reinventing for itself a central role in regional connectivity and engagement by making the best of the opportunity to align itself with a transforming region. Pakistan is finally becoming a good neighbor.
- Adnan Rehmat is a Pakistan-based journalist, researcher and analyst with interests in politics, media, development and science.
Twitter: @adnanrehmat1
