Revisiting Pakistan’s Foreign Policy

Pakistan needs to revisit its foreign policy. The national debate over Pakistan’s foreign policy continues. In this increasingly intensifying era of geopolitical competition, where does Pakistan’s foreign policy stand? This is the real debate. Ever since its independence in 1947, Pakistan has been facing a foreign policy crisis due to its geostrategic location, struggling economy, dependency on Western financial organizations such as the International Monetary Fund for loans, and rising conflicts with its neighbours, particularly India and Afghanistan.

Before assessing the state of Pakistan’s foreign policy, it is paramount to revisit the statement of the founding father, Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. During his address to the people of the United States in 1948, the founding father categorically outlined the future foreign policy of the nation: “Our foreign policy is one of friendliness and goodwill towards all the nations of the world. We do not cherish aggressive designs against any country or nation. We believe in the principle of honesty and fair play in national and international dealings and are prepared to make our utmost contribution to the promotion of peace and prosperity among the nations of the world. Pakistan will never be found lacking in extending its material and moral support to the oppressed and suppressed peoples of the world and in upholding the principles of the United Nations Charter.” Jinnah’s speech made it clear that Pakistan’s future foreign policy would be independent and friendly toward the rest of the world. Moreover, Pakistan will never allow any external power to question its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“Our foreign policy is one of friendliness and goodwill towards all the nations of the world. We do not cherish aggressive designs against any country or nation. We believe in the principle of honesty and fair play in national and international dealings and are prepared to make our utmost contribution to the promotion of peace and prosperity among the nations of the world.
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the Founder of Pakistan 

However, from independence to the present, it is disheartening to see that Pakistan’s foreign policy lacks all its independent attributes. What constitutes an independent foreign policy? Pursuing national interests, safeguarding the sanctity of national sovereignty, and territorial integrity are among the key essentials. Though Pakistani officials claim to have an independent foreign policy, many political pundits and foreign policy experts argue that Pakistan lacks these foundational attributes, which questions the independent status of its foreign policy.

A sound and technology-driven economy in this sophisticated technological era, in fact, defines the actual position of a state in the competitive international political arena. It would not be wrong to say that a sound economy breeds an independent foreign policy. For instance, India, our neighbour, has the status of the fifth-largest economy in the world. As per the India Times, the country’s annual technology trade has reached around 198 billion dollars. This advancement of technology has made India more attractive to foreign investors, impacting its foreign policymaking. And no external power dares to hinder India’s independent foreign policy-making process.

Pakistan, on the other hand, has abundant resources to drive the country towards economic growth and prosperity, which obviously influences its foreign policy. However, our erroneous economic policies hinder us from becoming an economic champion, thus impeding us from orchestrating an independent foreign policy.

The country is gripped by multifaceted economic woes, with the lifeline of our economy tied to external loans. During the past two years, Pakistan’s economic problems have multiplied. For many economic experts, Pakistan had reached the verge of economic collapse. However, a $3 billion stand-by agreement approved by the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund proved to be a protective shield for our ailing economy. Nevertheless, the debt-ridden economy of Pakistan is a massive hurdle in the way of our ability to pursue an independent foreign policy. Thus, Pakistan sternly needs to revive its economic policy before attempting to formulate an independent foreign policy.

The vision of the founding father, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, was clear: Pakistan’s relations with its neighbours would be friendly. However, historical analysis reveals that Pakistan’s relations with its neighbours have always been fraught. Our relations with both India and Afghanistan have been in chaos. After the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan, our relations with India further deteriorated, particularly due to Afghanistan’s harbouring of terrorist groups such as Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan and ISIS. Recently, Pakistan launched a missile attack on the hideouts of terrorists inside Afghanistan, further straining relations between the two neighbours.

But Pakistan has failed to reengage with Afghanistan on the foreign policy front, manifesting a lapse in Pakistan’s foreign policy. Afghanistan plays a vital geostrategic role for Pakistan in energy and trade sectors. The TAPI pipeline passing through Afghanistan meets Pakistan’s energy needs, and Afghanistan provides access to reach Central Asian regions. Thus, Afghanistan is important for Pakistan’s regional connectivity, and volatile relations with Afghanistan undermine Pakistan’s national interests. Similarly, our relations with Iran are also in limbo. The recent missile strike and counter-strike by both states further destabilized relations. In the aftermath of the strikes, the Pakistani Foreign Office did not provide a future direction to reengage with Iran, reflecting the need for Pakistan to revive its foreign policy. Overall, the failure to resume cordial relations with Afghanistan and Iran underscores the lapses in Pakistan’s foreign policy.

At this time, Pakistan is trapped by multiple economic woes, with record high inflation causing panic among ordinary Pakistanis. When international oil prices increase, Pakistan faces severe pressure due to its reliance on imported petroleum products. The Pakistan Market Monitoring report recorded a 23.1 percent inflation rate in February 2024. Therefore, importing subsidized energy from energy-rich friendly countries could alleviate Pakistan’s inflation. In 2012, the administration of Asif Ali Zardari signed a 2775 km Peace Gas Agreement with Iran to obtain cheap energy. However, the United States warned Pakistan to suspend the gas pipeline due to Iran’s sanctions for uranium enrichment. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated on July 18, 2023, in Washington that Pakistan could face sanctions if it built a pipeline to import gas from Iran. On the other hand, Iran threatened Pakistan with the International Court of Justice if it violated the agreement. Despite these challenges, Pakistan’s policy in working on the gas project, even though it is in the greater national interest of Pakistan to operationalize it, remains in limbo due to Western pressure. Rising confusion regarding the Pak-Iran gas pipeline and succumbing to Western pressure underscore Pakistan’s foreign policy confusion, demanding a revisit of its foreign policy.

An independent foreign policy is crucial for pursuing a country’s national interests without compromise. States with independent foreign policies repel external pressures while pursuing their national interests. India’s stance during the Ukraine war is noteworthy; despite US pressure, India continued to import energy from Russia. However, Pakistan’s case differs, as it may have to compromise its national interests under external influence. For instance, during the Ukraine war, the Imran Khan administration attempted to import subsidized energy from Russia to combat inflation, but faced pressure from a superpower to annul the commitment. This illustrates the challenges Pakistan faces in pursuing an independent foreign policy. To achieve its national interests, Pakistan needs to rethink its foreign policy.

Axiomatically, Pakistan is a developing country, reliant on Western support in the economic sector. Pakistan’s economy is conditioned by foreign debts, which pose obstacles to pursuing an independent foreign policy. To assert itself among the community of states, Pakistan must reassess its foreign policy.

Throughout Pakistan’s history, two former prime ministers attempted to steer the country towards an independent foreign policy. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto asserted in 1977 that he utilized political efforts to establish an independent foreign policy for Pakistan, despite Western pressure. Similarly, Imran Khan’s government was toppled in 2022 through a vote of no confidence, with Khan blaming the United States for his government’s downfall due to attempts to pursue an independent foreign policy. These instances expose the challenges Pakistan faces in pursuing an independent foreign policy, being a Western-centric country.

Historical analyses of Pakistan’s foreign policy highlight its lack of independence. During the Cold War era, Pakistan was coerced into aligning with the West against the Soviet Union, compromising its sovereignty. Similarly, during the Musharraf era, Pakistan faced pressure to align with the United States in the war on terror, weakening its ability to make independent decisions. Pakistan’s response to NATO’s attack on the Salala air base in 2012 further revealed the heavy external pressures pushing Pakistan to compromise on its sovereignty. Therefore, Pakistan needs a clear foreign policy direction to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity in the future.

As former American president Jimmy Carter once said, “Human rights are the soul of our foreign policy.” Despite this, the United States carried out surgical strikes inside Pakistan after the 9/11 incident, violating human rights, and Pakistan responded with restraint, indicating its fragile foreign policy.

Pakistan thus needs to revisit its foreign policy for independent statehood. It should reengage with its neighbours and determine how to pursue its national interests vis-à-vis the United States based on equality. In this competitive geopolitical era, an independent foreign policy is necessary for Pakistan to reset its position in the international political arena.