PAKISTAN

Country Profile
Geostrategic Importance
Pakistan is located in Southeast Asia, a region which has a great economic, political and strategic
location. How? The main reason being, Pakistan serves as a bridge between East and West Asia. As
well as between Europe and Asia. All the important trade routes pass through Pakistan. It is a hub of
economic activities, mainly because of its sea ports. It is believed that Pakistan will serve more in
international trade once the operations in Gwadar port start successfully, which has great
significance due to CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor). Moreover, also due to Jinnah
International Airport which is located at a significant location regarding cargo flights. Afghanistan has
no sea so it uses the way of Pakistan for trading through TOREKHAM Border. Pakistan also gives its
services for NATO Supply (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).

An American Political Scientist Stephen Philip Cohen describes this importance in his book The Idea
of Pakistan “While history has been unkind to Pakistan, its geography has been its greatest benefit. It
has a resource-rich area in the north-west, people rich in the northeast.”  

Assets of Pakistan
According to the World Bank data,

In 2020, net foreign assets for Pakistan was 337,511 million LCU (Local Currency Units relative to
US$). Though Pakistan net foreign assets fluctuated substantially in recent years, it tended to
increase through 1971 - 2020 period ending at 337,511 million LCU in 2020.

Allies and Enemies

Pakistan, due to its historical, religious and geographical position, plays a complex role in
international foreign policy. Flanked by China in the North, India in the East, Iran and Afghanistan in
the west and North-west, and the Indian Ocean in the south, its strategic location ensures Pakistan
remains prominent on the world stage. Pakistan’s relations with most of its neighbours have been
subject to ups and downs.

Pakistan has friendly and significant relations with Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and China based on the
extensive cooperation in national security and economical interests in the Persian Gulf. While it has
strong economic relations with India, United States, Russia and European countries. Trade with all
these countries have drastically increased over the past few years. In spite of Pakistan's friendly
relationship with North Korea, Pakistan maintains a strong base in South Korea, with more trade
agreements with South Korea and friendly treaty signed by both countries.

On the other hand, Pakistan has had a number of wars with India mostly based upon the Kashmir
issue. Most of the Pakistanis also consider US as an enemy. Russia has also been at war with Pakistan
throughout history. Pakistan has not accepted Israel as a state till now.
Ethnic Composition
Modern Pakistan’s population can be divided broadly into five major and several minor ethnic
groups. The Punjabis, who constitute roughly half of the population, are the single largest group. The
Pashtuns (Pathans) account for about one-eighth of the population, and Sindhis form a somewhat
smaller group. Of the remaining population, the muhajirs (Muslims who fled to Pakistan after the
partition in 1947) and Balochs constitute the largest groups.

There are subgroups within each of these five categories, as well as a number of smaller ethnic
groups. The Arains, Rajputs, and Jats—all Punjabis—regard themselves as ethnically distinct. Some
groups overlap the five categories; for instance, there are Punjabi Pashtuns as well as Hazarvi
Pashtuns.

Economy
Pakistan currently operates mixed economy in which state-owned enterprises account for a large
portion of gross domestic product (GDP). The country has experimented with several economic
models during its existence. At first, Pakistan’s economy was largely based on private enterprise, but
significant sectors of it were nationalized beginning in the early 1970s, including financial services,
manufacturing , and transportation. Further changes were made in the 1980s, under the military
government of Zia ul Haqq.

The economy, which was primarily agricultural at the time of independence, has become
considerably diversified. Agriculture, now no longer the largest sector, contributes roughly one-fifth
of GDP, while manufacturing provides about one-sixth. Trade and services, which
combined constitute the largest component of the economy, have grown considerably.

Biggest Trading Partners

Pakistan’s biggest trading partners are US, China, UK, Germany, Netherlands, UAE, Spain, Italy,
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Belgium, France, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

In terms of educational development, UK and Turkey are Pakistan’s major partners. They provide
various courses for Pakistani students and also grant them an easy Visa for admissions.
 TOPIC BACKGROUND
DISEC
Topic Area A: The Role of Non-State Military Organizations in Conflict
Topic Area B: Territorial Disputes in the South China Sea

Mandate of DISEC
The United Nations (UN) Disarmament and International Security Committee (DISEC) was created as
the first of the Main Committees in the General Assembly when the charter of the United Nations
was signed in 1945. Thus, DISEC is often referred to as the First Committee. DISEC was formed to
respond to the need for an international forum to discuss peace and security issues among members
of the international community. As a committee under the General Assembly, it does not have the
power to make legally binding resolutions but can recommend topics of discussion to the Security
Council.

Study Guide
DISEC is first of the main six committees of the UN General Assembly. Its purpose is to maintain
peace within its community as well as the principles regarding regulation of armaments. Aside from
its role in the General Assembly, DISEC is an institution of UNODA (UN Office for Disarmament
Affairs).

Topic Area A:

NSMOs are the reason of conflict in a region. They pose a serious threat to nations that lack
resources and have unstable governments. For instance, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and parts of Latin
America face a range of harmful NSMOs.

 Insurgents
 Terrorists
 Private companies that provide military and security services
 Guerrillas
 Civil Defense Forces and Paramilitary groups
 Local militias

The causes of conflict between NSMOs and the State are:

NSMOs are not given the freedom to speech and the government is not ready to comply with the
civilians’ demands. Moreover, the organizations see themselves as representatives of distinct
interests which the government totally undermines, leading to violence in the country. No
negotiations take place between the State and these organizations to which they attack in return. On
the other hand, these organizations continue to benefit from unstable and corrupt governments.
Topic Area B:

Many disputed islands are present in the South China Sea. These islands are from the core of a fierce
territorial dispute among six primary claimants: Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and
Vietnam. China has claimed most of the islands for its military and economic benefit.

The South China Sea contains two major groups of islands subject to overlapping sovereignty claims.
The Paracel Islands in the northern half of the sea are currently controlled by China, but are claimed
by Taiwan and Vietnam. The Spratly Islands, to the south, are far smaller, more dispersed and even
more contested.

South China sea (SCS) is historically a contested area since the 19th century. It is the most frequently
used global trade route. An approximately $5 trillion trade passes through SCS annually.

Key Issues
Topic Area A:
The government of Pakistan is involved in non-international armed conflicts with various armed
groups acting throughout its territory, particularly Taliban-affiliated groups in the Federally
Administered Tribal Areas and independence fighters in Balochistan. Since 2002, Pakistan Military
has been conducting operations against these organizations which results in a great loss of military
equipment. Terrorism is rampant in the country because of no kind of negotiations between the
State and NSMOs. In parallel, armed groups are fighting for the independence of Baluchistan
province.

Topic Area B:
The power play by great powers continues to enhance their influence in military, energy, trade, and
information management. The US focus remains on strengthening ties with NATO, pick and choose
in middle eastern as well as south Asian and south-east Asian nations. Territorial disputes in the
south china sea have serious implications for global peace and stability particularly for Asia-pacific
states including Pakistan. Pakistan is desperately trying to maintain a balance in its foreign policy
options and avoid block politics. Neither it can abandon America, nor it can show a hand to China. 
 PAST INTERNATIONAL ACTIONS
Topic Area A:
UN Resolutions
 2004:
In resolution 1540 (2004), the Security Council decided that all States shall refrain from
providing any form of support to non-State actors that attempt to develop, acquire,
manufacture, possess, transport, transfer or use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and
their means of delivery, in particular for terrorist purposes.

 2016:
Unanimously adopting resolution 2325 (2016), the Council called on all States to strengthen
national anti-proliferation regimes in implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), which seeks
to keep non-State actors from acquiring nuclear, biological and chemical weapons of mass
destruction, and to submit timely reports on their efforts . 

NATO
In July 2018, NATO leaders agreed to set up counter-hybrid support teams, which
provide tailored targeted assistance to Allies upon their request, in preparing against
and responding to hybrid activities.NATO is strengthening its coordination with
partners, including the European Union, in efforts to counter hybrid threats.

Conventions
Since 1977, humanitarian law recognizes a specific status for national liberation movements who
fight against colonial domination and alien occupation and against racist regimes in the exercise of
their right of self-determination. Additional Protocol I of 1977 to the 1949 Geneva Conventions
assimilates those situations to international armed conflicts and allows the members of such groups
to be granted combatant status if they carry arms openly and respect the laws of war.

NGOs
Specialized NGOs engage nonstate armed actors to reduce the violence and instability they cause
during and after conflict. Two of the most prominent civil society organizations in the field are the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Geneva Call.4 They use different approaches in
dealing with armed actors, but they have the same goal: to persuade rebel groups, militias, tribal
chiefs, and other armed actors to accept international norms and change their behavior as well as
their internal rules and doctrines accordingly.

The ICRC is engaging more than one hundred nonstate armed actors in about thirty countries,
concentrating particularly on Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions.

The bulk of Geneva Call’s work focuses on landmines, specifically in territory that nonstate armed
actors control.

Pakistan ‘s Conventions
All parties to the conflict are bound by Article 3 common to the 1949 Geneva Conventions that
provides for the minimum standard to be respected and requires humane treatment without
adverse distinction of all persons not or no longer taking active parts in hostilities. It prohibits
murder, mutilation, torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, hostage taking and unfair
trials. In addition, all parties are bound by customary international humanitarian law applicable to
non-international armed conflict.

Roman Statute
As Article 28 of the Rome Statute sets forth different requirements of superior responsibility for
military and non-military superiors, it has become necessary to distinguish between the two types of
superiors.
Topic Area B

UN Resolutions
The United Nations does not take a position on the disputed sovereignty claims, but the UN Security
Council is meeting to consider any action it should take to ease tensions in the East China Sea and to
evaluate its long-term policy in the region. A UN decision in this case could be difficult to achieve
because China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the council, has the ability to block many
actions that have proven effective in past disputes.

NATO
In a statement that was not surprising, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has said that it
will stay out of South China Sea disputes. General Peter Pavel, who chairs the NATO Military
Committee, said that the alliance would not intervene militarily in South China Sea territorial
disputes because it has "no legal platforms" to do so. “We're trying to stay as much within our region
and not interfere in other region's issues,” he said.

Conventions
As the results of the Conferences, four conventions on the law of the Sea and an Optional Protocol
on the Settlement of Dispute were adopted.

They include:

(i) recognition coasal state’s jurisdiction on the continental shelf and its resources,
consequently leads to the delimitation of the continental shelf between States
concerned
(ii) (ii) establishment of criteria for the delimitation of the territorial sea and continental
shelf between opposite and adjacent States.

Article 279 of the LOS Convention states: “States parties shall settle any dispute between them
concerning the interpretation and application of this convention by peaceful means in accordance
with Article 2, para.3 of the Charter of the United Nations”.

Pakistan’s Conventions
Pakistan is desperately trying to maintain a balance in its foreign policy options and avoid block
politics. Neither it can abandon America, nor it can show a hand to China. Abandoning the US will
bring Pakistan to face multifaceted issues in the evolving new Cold War between the US, China, and
Russia. Pakistan has very less space to make big detours owing to its internal political unrest and bad
economic condition.