Soft Power in the Foreign Policy of Pakistan: Challenges and Remedies

American political scientist Josh Nye originally used the phrase “soft power” in 1990 in his book ‘Bound to Lead: The changing nature of soft power’, which mentioned soft power as “the ability to get what you want through attraction rather than through coercion.”. After that policymakers across the globe started to inculcate the notion of soft power viz-a-viz hard power to ensure state security from external and internal vulnerabilities.  Unfortunately, Pakistan’s policy seems to lean more toward the traditional power due to the prevailing regional and global security turmoil since its inception. The 9/11 attack has further deteriorated Pakistan’s position: the international community stigmatized Pakistan as a terrorist state. Subsequently, an amalgamation of both soft and hard power, known as “smart power” became inevitable for Pakistan to counter the prevailing narrative about the state.

Intellectual Recession in Pakistan

Pakistan’s geographical location poses a serious risk to both internal and external security, as extremism and terrorism have caused political and economic instability. India is posing security threats, with Kashmir being a major source of disagreement. The US-India alliances have also been deemed a significant challenge in the past, and their technological advancement has exacerbated the risks by opening novel warfronts, such as cyber-attacks.  Over the years, India has supported multiple insurgencies against Pakistan, which resulted in the division of Pakistan in 1971. The ongoing insurgency in Baluchistan is the extension of the interventions of India and its supporters to create a security dilemma in Pakistan.

However, there is still another impending threat coming from its western border. Over the last two decades, Afghanistan has led to an overflow of extremism. Various militant groups, based in Afghanistan have been involved in terrorist attacks in Pakistan. Despite this, Pakistan has faced another catastrophe: the influx of Afghan refugees, which began in 1979 at a rate of about one million and is currently home to nearly three million. This has caused stagnant political and economic systems, and a large number of people have sought refuge in KPK and Baluchistan as these regions are at risk of militancy.

Organizing and participating in foreign cultural exchange programs, accelerating student exchange programs, and showcasing cultural heritage in the media are all effective ways to counteract a country’s negative perception.

The aforementioned concerns are causing Pakistan to shift its focus away from soft power and toward securitization, with the ultimate aim being the protection of its sovereignty, national identity, and territorial integrity. On the other hand, the idea of enhancing one’s reputation and image via public diplomacy and soft power has received less attention. In such situations, the policymakers are not able to provide any policy proposal for the implementation of soft power.

Pakistan possesses an abundant historical and cultural legacy; nonetheless, the nation has failed to garner international recognition. Organizing and participating in foreign cultural exchange programs, accelerating student exchange programs, and showcasing cultural heritage in the media are all effective ways to counteract a country’s negative perception. Pakistan has been the starting point for major religions like Islam and Buddhism. It is also home to ancient civilizations like Gandara and the Indus Valley (Mohenjo-Daro).

With beautiful scenery, its great tourism potential stretches from the northern Karakoram peaks to the southern Indus Delta. However, realizing its full potential will need to strengthen the peace and order situation. In addition to its success in sports like squash, hockey, and cricket, Pakistan also produces a strong media scene, a think tank culture, and a diaspora of about 3.9 million people living all over the world.

Remedies

According to Joseph Nye, a key component of soft power is developmental assistance. Pakistan is an exception to the rule that developing nations should not aid one another. Despite being among the top ten Asian recipients of development aid, the country’s education system is beset by issues, including high dropout rates and underqualified teachers. Pakistan continues to demonstrate its dedication to education by providing scholarships to students from other developing nations.

Pakistan also enhances its soft power by participating in UN peacekeeping missions. This engagement demonstrates the nation’s role as a good neighbor and advocate for peace. Scholarships are available from the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan to students from Afghanistan and other least-developed nations. Pakistan can also enhance its international reputation through cultural diplomacy. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has arranged cultural events, including worldwide music performances, in many different nations. These endeavors demonstrate Pakistan’s attempt to bolster its soft power despite development obstacles.

Several actions need to be followed to impart soft power to Pakistan’s foreign policy. Pakistan’s international strategy needs to be taken into account by considering its circumstances. Building credibility and trust with other nations will be facilitated by such measures. Pakistan possesses a wealth of cultural resources, but it hasn’t properly utilized them to achieve its foreign policy objectives. To boost its reputation abroad, the nation has to promote its arts, culture, and literature on an earnest basis.

Pakistan can also promote its narrative and self-image by positively utilizing its youth bulge. Providing educated and skilled laborers to the developed world, not only increases foreign remittance but also acts as an ambassador of the nation, by portraying the positive self-image of the state. Research on soft power can assist in identifying and making better use of these resources. The sooner we shift toward our soft power, the better it will be for the state and society.