Challenges to Foreign Policy of Pakistan in 21st century

Contents :

1 - Introduction:

2 - Foreign policy of Pakistan and its most important concerns :

3 - A brief history of Pakistan Foreign Policy :

4 - Major events of 21st century and Pakistan’s Foreign policy :

5 - Challenges to Pakistan Foreign Policy in 21st century :

6 - Suggestions for strengthening and formulating an effective foreign

policy by Pakistan :

7 - Conclusion

8 - References
 Challenges to Pakistan Foreign Policy in 21st Century

Introduction:

Pakistan, since its inception, has been facing some grave challenges in
terms of its Foreign Policy. In its early years, the socio-political structure
of Pakistan was highly unstable due to many structural problems. But in
the 21st century, the problems and challenges that Pakistan faces are
more daunting and serious. The challenges of terrorism, globalization,
extremism, sectarianism, Issue of Kashmir and nuclearisation in South
Asia, Afghan issue and some other internal issues have deeply affected
Pakistan’s foreign policy in the dawn of 21st century. We know that this
21st century is the age of globalisation and those countries which are
economically, politically and technologically stable can survive and
compete in this fast and challenging era of international politics. The
world has never been the same since the incident of 9/11. It is more
dangerous and politically unstable than ever. The rise of non-state actors
and their increasing power have hugely impacted the overall politics of
the world and relations among countries. The rise of China as a new
economic superpower has also an impact on both South Asia and the
rest of the world. China’s new geopolitical projects like OBOR “One belt
One Road” has been playing a key role in changing and dominating the
power politics of the South Asian region and the overall economy of the
world. Other important events like the war on terror, rise of Taliban,
Middle East crisis such as the Rise of ISIS and Yemen conflict etc, Issue of
Kashmir between Pakistan and India, the growing interest of U.S as well
as Russia in South Asia has posed newer challenges to Pakistan. The
changing geopolitical, geostrategic, and geoeconomic conditions of the
South Asian region has exposed Pakistan Foreign Policy new political,
economic and security problems and challenges.
Pakistan’s strategic position in the region is very delicate because of the
effects of post 9/11 event and developments on its bilateral relations,
strategic and defence concerns, internal stability, economic situation
and national integrity. These complex political, security and economic
problems is a huge challenge to Pakistani stakeholders in terms of
Pakistan’s foreign policy, which should be made and implemented
according to the changing situation in the region.
The foreign policy of Pakistan and its most important concerns :

Several factors determine the foreign policy of a country. Factors like

economy, security, geography, religion, ideological interests, political
stability and many more affect a country’s foreign policy. Pakistan has
also faced many challenges in the making of its foreign policy because of
its status in the Muslim world and its historic past. Different factors have
played a significant role in the determination of Pakistan Foreign Policy,
which we shall discuss under briefly.

1 - National Security:

National Security is Pakistan’s Foreign policy most important concern.

The presence of a hostile neighbour India and a politically unstable
neighbour Afghanistan has a direct impact on the National Security of
Pakistan.

2 - Geostrategic location of the country:

Pakistan’s geostrategic location has always played a huge role in its

foreign policy formulation as it has its border with India, China,
Afghanistan and Iran, and is also very close to the Central Asia States,
which was a part of Soviet Union formerly.

3 - Islamic ideology :

Ideology is another basic and important determinant of the foreign

policy of a country. The people of this region are greatly committed to
Islam. Pakistan was created based on religion, which makes it a unique
feature. This ideological factor is thus an important determinant in
influencing Pakistan’s domestic and foreign policy.

4 - Economic factor:

Economic interests are another important concern of the Foreign Policy

of Pakistan. Pakistan, since its inception, inherited a weaker economy
and is constantly struggling for economic survival in the 21st century.
Economy, in 3rd world countries like Pakistan, plays a very significant
role in its Foreign Policymaking.
A brief history of Pakistan Foreign Policy :

Since its creation, Pakistan has faced a lot of problems in its foreign
policymaking and implementation as its foreign policy was mostly based
on its economic interests and security. Pakistan- India rivalry and the
unresolved issue of Kashmir heavily influenced Foreign Policy of Pakistan
in the Cold War era and still it has a profound effect on Pakistan's
foreign policy. After being neutral in the early stages of the Cold War,
Pakistan decided to choose its side by being part of Baghdad pact in
1955. This act created a sense of anger among all the Muslims. Pakistan
justified this move by claiming that it was the need of time and it was
done due to safety from India. Although, that choice of joining the pact
was due to Pakistan’s own weak economic and military position. The U.S
also tried to pressurise Pakistan to enter its Capitalist bloc led by the U.S
by promising it economic and military support.

As we know that Pakistan was created based on two-nation theory,

which basic element was religion. Pakistan was created on religious
grounds; but after its creation, there were different questions
concerning not only its survival but also related to its ideology. The
question was whether it should be an Islamic or a secular state. The
country’s founding father, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah has
clearly stated at every platform that Pakistan will be a secular country
having complete religious freedom provided to every citizen no matter
what their religion is. Pakistan was principally composed of Muslims but
essentially it was a democratic and secular state in terms of its political
institutions its constitution. In a speech on 11 August 1947; Quaid Azam
made it clear that in this country everyone is allowed to practice their
religion freely. They can go to mosques, temples, churches and any
other worship place want to go. Any religion, creed or caste has nothing
to do with the state’s business. But under different regimes, many
attempts were made to Islamize the country and frame its foreign policy
according to it. The most pressure which the establishment of Pakistan
faced was from the side of Ulemas, who wanted Pakistan to be an
Islamic State.

Pakistan suffered a huge loss in the unfolding of events of 1971 when it

lost East Pakistan- Bangladesh. India played an important part in these
events. As a result, a greater animosity between India and Pakistan was
created and both states started to see each other as rivals and a threat.
India’s ties with the United States meant that any kind of help which
Pakistan wanted from the US during these years should not be met. It
seemed that the relations between Pakistan and the US were more
directed towards the elimination of communism than the own benefits
of Pakistan after being an ally with the USA.

Affected by the challenges of both inside and from outside, Pakistan

formally framed its foreign policy based on its economic interests and
security concerns. In the wake of Invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet
Union, Pakistan joined NATO, a US-led coalition of forces to fight against
USSR in Afghanistan. Pursuing its foreign policy objectives and goals, the
country wanted to improve its bilateral relations both within and outside
the region. Also, Pakistan unsuccessfully tried to reduce the growing
dependence of its foreign policy on the US and pursue its foreign policy
independently.

Pakistan has strong ties with Saudi Arabia and China for very long. Along
with these countries, Pakistan also became successful to maintain stable
relations with Gulf countries and also improve its ties with South and
Central Asian states.

Major events of the 21st century and Pakistan’s Foreign policy :

After the defeat of the Soviet Union and Communism in Afghanistan at

the end of 20th century by the help of Mujahideen, which was backed
and financed by the U.S; a unipolar world emerged with only one
hegemon USA dominating the world politics. After the collapse of the
Soviet Union, Communism failed as a political, economic and social
ideology. West gained a victory and the capitalist system based on
private ownership, free markets and trade, and profit maximization
expanded and gained influence all over the world. With the emergence
of other states and non-state actors like China, India, Brazil, France and
Germany, and European Union, and other IGOs and MNCs; the world
moved from a strong bipolar system to a multipolar system. The
international political system was almost becoming stable that another
tragic incident happened in the form of attacks on World Trade Center
and Pentagon on September 11, 2001, referred to as 9/11, which shook
the whole socio-political structure of the world. Soon after the attacks,
US President George W Bush declared these attacks as terrorist attacks
and started to hunt the invisible enemy responsible for the attacks.
“Terrorism” became an enemy for the whole world. The U.S tried to
bring the whole world on one page to fight the common enemy. Al
Qaeda, an Islamic militant organization under the leadership of Osama
bin Laden was held responsible for the attacks. The US demanded
Osama bin Laden from Al Qaeda but after they refused, the US invaded
Afghanistan to end the Taliban regime in the country. A coalition of
different forces in the form of NATO also joined the mission in
Afghanistan. Pakistan being a neighbour to Afghanistan and having
geostrategic importance in South Asia, which was once used against the
Soviet Union by the US again became a frontline ally of the USA in the
war against terrorism.

After US Army invasion in Afghanistan, the second phase of the war on

terror was the U.S decision to invade Iraq to punish Saddam Hussain, a
despotic ruler, for the making of weapons of mass destruction and
creating instability in the Middle East region. The US wanted to liberate
the Iraqis from the cruel administration of Saddam. The situation this
time was a bit different as many countries including Pakistan was against
the use of military power in Iraq by the U.S.

Challenges to Pakistan Foreign Policy in the 21st century :

Pakistan has been facing many domestic and foreign policy challenges
since its birth, but in the 21st century, the challenges grew more
complex and bigger due to the changing phenomena of global politics
and events such as 9/11, war on terror, Middle East crisis, and problems
like terrorism, sectarianism, extremism etc.
After the end of the Cold War-era towards the 21st century, Pakistan
became a key state in determining the future of the South Asian region
through its foreign policy. Here we will discuss in details some of the
most important challenges which are faced by Pakistan in framing and
implementing its foreign policy effectively.
1- Kashmir Issue and Nuclearisation in South Asia:

Kashmir Issue is one of the greater challenges to the foreign policy of

Pakistan in the 21st century. The Kashmir issue remained a huge
challenge to Pakistan Foreign Policy since its inception. Another
important issue connected with Kashmir issue is of the nuclearization in
South Asia. This Kashmir issue has been the sole reason for the wars
fought by India and Pakistan against each other in 1965, 1971, Kargil war
of 1999, and also the testing of nuclear weapons by both the countries
has created a sense of security dilemma in both the countries making
the region dangerous.

“Indo-Pak relations always remained security-centric. The historic crises

put both the states on the verge of nuclear explosion inmate 1998; the
situation could seek nuclear aspect indeed nuclear deterrence in South
Asia is weak. Kashmir has been the flashpoint in constrain of both the
states have been fought several wars including in 1947-48, 1965 and
1971and the Kargil conflict in 1999. The Kashmir conflict remains
unfinished business.”
(www.stimson.org)

A new nuclear race has started after the civil nuclear deal which has
escalated the situation in the region of South Asia. According to Pakistan,
the deal has affected the balance of power among states in the region
and also responsible for a nuclear race in the region. “ Pakistan opposes
the deal on the grounds that it would lead to a new nuclear arms race in
South Asia; would undermine the global non-proliferation regime; and
that it “does not accept discriminatory treatment” and would have
preferred a “package deal” that accommodates the energy security
interests of both India and Pakistan.”
(http://www.sassu.org.uk)

Still unresolved, the Kashmir issue has created many problems for both
Pakistan and India in terms of their economic and socio-political
relations and a safe and secure trade between the countries. Many
attempts were made to resolve this issue but those attempts came out
with no positive result. This Kashmir issue led to the starting of a nuclear
arms race between India and Pakistan which has also made the whole
South Asian region a bit unstable politically and insecurity means.
Although both the countries are now nuclear powers but still the issue of
Kashmir is unresolved and Kashmiris are suffering in their own country
divided by the hate, animosity and dirty politics of statesmen on both
side. This Kashmir issue and the problem of nuclearization has affected
the Pakistan Foreign policy to a greater extent.

2 - Growing US-India Bonhomie :

According to most analysts, this century is for the Asians. India and China
are the newly emerging giants of Asia, and due to its proximity with both
states, Pakistan is bound to have spill-over implications of their policy, as
China and Pakistan are both good friends while Pakistan and India have
been enemies of each other since long. Pakistan became important for
America after defeating the Soviet Union by providing support to the U.S
and after the incident of 9/11 which started a full-fledged war on
terrorism ( War on Terror ).

It is very important to mention that Pakistan has always remained

important for USA interests in the South Asian region. In South Asia, the
United State policymakers have always focused on Pakistan-India-China
triangle. In this region, China is the greatest competitor of America, India
is its strategic Ally while Pakistan has been a partner of the US in the war
on terror. However, to dominate China by pursuing its strategic concerns,
the US has always tilted more towards its ally India. On the other hand,
China remained peaceful by adopting a low profile in the region, and the
world at large.

The increasing friendship between the United States and India during
the 1990s has been dangerous to Pakistan. Pakistan was in isolation in
that era and its most allied ally - the USA - had many concerns regarding
the country’s nuclear programme and made all efforts to force Pakistan
in rolling it back. At the end of 1990s, the US tilt towards India, especially
after the episode of Kargil, grew stronger and was seen as a shift in
paradigm in the relations between two largest democracies in the world.
Thus, we can conclude that this US-India relation has both an impact on
Pakistan and South Asia because of the increasing interests of US in the
region because of China and then after 9/11, the US-led war on terror, in
which Pakistan became a frontline ally of US by changing its foreign
policy narrative.
Globalization; a threat to Pakistan foreign policy :

For third world countries like Pakistan, Globalization is an emerging

threat and a great challenge rather than an opportunity. Critics argue
that in this rapid era of globalization, the countries which will survive in
flourish in terms of economy and politics will be those countries which
are politically stable and economically strong.
Every nation is having its own principles according to its environment
that compels a country to establish, frame & execute its foreign policy to
secure its national interest in accordance with the opportunities and
challenges that are provided by the global spectrum.

The fundamental criterion of all the economies to contribute to the

world economy is creating the international standards and principles for
their economic systems. There are, indeed, monitory policy principles,
fiscal payment and transparency insurance system, governance,
securities, corporate and the whole draw up of other different fields. It
means that the individual countries should probe their economic policies
to take part in the competition of the international market and all the
policy managers have to project their policies by greater transparency
worldwide.

Keeping in view the above-mentioned points, Pakistan needs to reform

its political system, flourish in its economic performance, and to adopt
essential elements such as good governance, and maintain the rule of
law to tackle the new challenges that come with globalization. In the
South Asian perspective, India is a bigger threat not in terms of the arms
race only but also in the economic competition. The rising role of India’s,
both vertically and horizontally, has an impact on policy matters of
Pakistan; because, in a world of globalization, the economic interests of
states are more important than any other interests.

Issue of Afghanistan and War on terror :

Another huge challenge for Pakistan in terms of its foreign policy is the
Afghan Issue and the war against terrorism. In the war on terror which is
launched by the US against a common invisible enemy, Pakistan is
playing a key role by being the epicentre of the war.
First, Pakistan has been impelled to adopt a defensive strategy due to
the geostrategic environment of the region. Due to its weak political
system, a fragile economy and geostrategic conditions; India has been
constantly trying to contain Pakistan in Afghanistan. Second, after the
withdrawal of US troops and the collapse of the Soviet Union, a political
vacuum was created in Afghanistan. Pakistan adopted a policy of
“strategic depth” in order to secure its strategic position in the region
and contain India the influence of India in Afghanistan. Third, after 9/11,
it has again become harder for Pakistan to secure its interest in
Afghanistan. The increasing influence of India in Afghanistan, according
to some analysts, is due to the reason that the Afghan government is
Indian friendly. Pakistan is in such a prevalent condition, facing serious
challenges after 9/11 regarding the crisis in Afghanistan.

The critical and serious challenges in Pakistan, Afghanistan and the

region include deep poverty, widespread violence, unresolved border
disputes, poor governance, drug trafficking and nuclear weapons.
Moreover, sovereignty issues, and the complex historical, religious and
social dynamics of the region also threaten to disturb the national and
international balance.
Pakistan and Afghanistan both are facing the menace of terrorism which
is under their authorities control within their territories. Afghanistan &
Pakistan has some amelioration than past however, there is an also a
kind of constrained b/w them.

Extremism, terrorism and sectarianism :

Other serious intractable challenges to Pakistan are extremism and

terrorism. The 9/11 events have some serious implications on the
socio-political and economic aspect of Pakistan foreign policy in a
broader perspective. Pakistan became vulnerable in economic terms;
costing its loss of 100 B Dollars and receiving financial aid of only 16
billion $. Pakistan, in the perspective of foreign policy, is perceived as a
terrorist hub and an unsafe and insecure country.
Source: http://www.finance.gov.

Domestic Challenges; affecting the foreign policy of Pakistan :

Domestic policies of a country heavily influence the country’s foreign

policy. When a country is domestically stable, it can exert a greater
influence externally on other states. Those states which are internally
unstable and weaker have no place in this globalized world. Pakistan has
been a victim of its domestic instability and issues from a very long time
which has a direct impact on its foreign policy decisions. The domestic
policy requires a sound economic structure which is stable enough to
make a country make foreign policy decisions on an international level.
Therefore, in order to execute an effective Foreign policy in the
contemporary world, Pakistan first needs to solve their internal political,
social and economic issues to overcome these challenges and formulate
a successful foreign policy in the 21st century.

Suggestions for strengthening and formulating an effective foreign

policy by Pakistan :
1- Pakistan must have peaceful relations with its neighbours especially
India in order to cope with the challenges of its foreign policy.

2- The Kashmir issue should be diplomatically and peacefully solved with

rival India to avoid any tensions and disputes in the region and also the
issue of nuclearisation.

3- Self-reliance is extremely important for Pakistan in terms of its

economic problems. Pakistan needs to stable its economy and stop
getting loans and escape the debt traps to strengthen both its domestic
and international image and to stop relying on other states regarding
financial aids.

Conclusion :

Pakistan’s foreign policy remained hamstrung by a number of issues;

which are the effective formulation and the implementation of foreign
policy, its effectiveness and also its domestic political implications on the
policy. By looking at the historical facts, it can be derived that the
Pakistan foreign policy is largely dominated and determined by the
intelligence and military agencies of Pakistan. The reasons for this are
several including Indian threat perception, failure of democracy, lack of
political leadership and the ever-changing relations with the US. The
major factor that played a role in making Pakistan’s foreign policy
ineffective and failure is the reliance of Pakistan on America in terms of
military and economic assistance. Pakistan, after its dependency on
donors regarding financial assistance, has been receiving orders and
dictations from those countries which directly affected Pakistan’s
domestic and foreign policies. An example is the conditions of the IMF
and World Bank after Pakistan requested huge amounts of loans from
the organizations.
In conclusion, Pakistan needs a vigilant and strong leadership having the
visions to overcome these foreign policy challenges in the 21st century
and formulate an effective policy regarding both the internal and
external issues of Pakistan.
References :

- Jamshed Ali Baloch, Dr. Kiran Sami Memon, Humera Hakro.

‘CHALLENGES TO FOREIGN POLICY OF PAKISTAN IN 21STCENTURY’.

-Pakistan Foreign Policy in 21st century,

http://jworldtimes.com/pakistan-affairs/pakistans-foreign-policy-in-the-
21st-century/

- Sajeela Yousaf and Dr. Shaista Tabassum,SZABIST. ‘Foreign Policy of

Pakistan: Challenges and Opportunities’.

- Dr.S.R.T.P.Sugunakararaju. ‘Pakistan’s Foreign Policy in Post 9/11 Era’ ,

IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS)
Volume 21, Issue 3, Ver. I (Mar. 2016) PP 47