FOREIGN POLICY OF PAKISTAN WHAT IS FOREIGN POLICY?

Foreign policy dictates how a country will act with respect to other countries politically, socially, economically and militarily. Foreign policy can also be known as international relations policy or simply diplomacy. It seems likely that foreign policy, in some form, has been around since the early days of humanity on the plains of Africa, when large tribes would presumably interact from time to time without engaging in all-out war. Today, foreign policy is handled by foreign ministers, ambassadors, and the Secretary of State. No country, in the modern world, can survive independently and in total seclusion of others. The policy a state adopts in the process of establishing relations with other states is called Foreign policy, it has been defined thus: The general plan of one country concerning its relations with other countries. PAKISTANS FOREIGN POLICY: Pakistan's foreign policy has been marked by a complex balancing process the result of its h istory, religious heritage, and geographic position. The primary objective of that policy has been to preserve Pakistan's territorial integrity and security, which have been in jeopardy since the state's inception. A new era began with the partition of British India in 1947 and the formation of two independent, sovereign s t a t e s I n d i a a n d P a k i s t a n . B o t h n a t i o n s s e a r c h e d fo r t h e i r p l a c e i n t h e wo r l d o r d e r a n d a s p i r e d t o leadership roles beyond the subcontinent. India and Pakistan became adversaries at independence and have so remained. The two countries fought each other shortly after partition, in 1965, and in 1971, c a u s i n g t h e d i s m e m b e r m e n t o f P a k i s t a n a n d t h e c r e a t i o n o f s t i l l a n o t h e r n e w s o v e r e i g n e n t i t y - - Bangladesh. India-Pakistan rivalry intensified rather than diminished after the Cold War, and the Kashmir territorial dispute remains dangerous and recurrent. Pakistan sought security through outside alliances. The new nation painstakingly worked on building a relationship with the United States, in which the obligations of both sides were clearly defined. The Western-oriented, anticommunist treaties and alliances Pakistan joined became an important part of its foreign policy. Pakistan also saw itself as a vanguard of independent Muslim states. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF FOREIGN POLICY OF PAKISTAN: Our foreign policy is based on the following five fundamental principles. 1. Cooperation with the United Nations and other international agencies in maintaining world peace. 2. Friendly relations with all nation s of the world. 3 . N o n - a l i g n m e n t 4 . F r a t e r n a l r e l a t i o n s wi t h t h e M u s l i m c o u n t r i e s . 5 . R e g i o n a l cooperation. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF OUR FOREIGN POLICY: Following are the aims and objectives of our foreign policy: 1. Preservation of national independence: The Muslims of south Asia struggled hard against the British and Hindu hegemony, solely because they wanted to live like an independent and a free nation. In order to safeguard her independence Pakistan had to fight two wars against India in 1965 and 1971. Preservation of national independence has always remained the paramount principle of the foreign policy of our country. 2. Support for the right of self determination for all nations: In international forums Pakistan always rendered full support to the cause of the nations fighting for their right of self determination and freedom from foreign subjection. Pakistan successfully supported the independence movements of the countries Kampuchea, South Africa, Bosnia, Libya, Indonesia, Eritrea and a number of other Asian and African countries. Pakistan has been giving unflinching and consistent support to the cause of independence of the people of Kashmir and Palestine. 3. Promotion of international cooperation: Pakistan came the member of United Nation Organization in the very next month after its independence.As a member of the UN, Pakistan always supported the policy of resolving international disputes throughnegotiation. Pakistan used her good offices for conciliation among different countries of the world at many occasions. In this respect Pakistans efforts to bring about cease-fire between Iraq and Iran duringtheir long drawn out war needs special mention. 4. Non-alignment:

We are living in a bi-polar world, generally divided into the Socialist n Capitalist blocks. Since Pakistanfought its way to freedom on the basis of an ideology, based on the principles of Islam, it is not possiblefor us to become the blind camp-followers of either of the two ideological blocks. We have always triedto establish cordial relations with all countries of the world, irrespective of their ideological affiliations. In1979 Pakistan joined the NAM (Nonaligned movement) as regular member. 5. Regional cooperation: Pakistan has always strived hard to establish good neighborly relations with the countries of region. Pakistan entered to a pact with Iran and Turkey, which was known as RCD (Regional cooperation for development). This pact has now been renamed as ECO (Economic cooperation organization) and has been expanded to accommodate Central Asian Muslim States. Pakistan has always maintained ideal friendly relation with the Peoples Republic of China which is strategically the most important country of our region. We are trying to improve our relations with our problem neighbor India. India, unfortunately, has not so far responded positively to Pakistans offer of a no-war-pact. 6. Unity of Muslim world: Strengthening fraternal ties with the Muslim countries of the world forms an essential part of the Pakistan Ideology. Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah (RA) was a great protagonist of the unity of the Muslim world. Principles of State Policy in the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan proclaim that the state of Pakistan shall make efforts for the improvement of its relations with the Muslim world. Pakistan maintains very cordial relations with all the Muslim countries. Pakistan is an important member of the OIC (Islamic Conference) and all other international Islamic forums. Pakistan has a brilliant record of upholding and pleading the cause of the Muslims fighting for their independent in Palestine, Kashmir, Cyprus, Eritrea and Bosnia. This support was moral as well as diplomatic. FACTORS DETERMINING THE FOREIGN POLICY OF PAKISTAN A country looking forward to a successful and honorable existence in the comity of nations is bound to frame its foreign policy on the basis of the objective conditions it is faced with. In order to achieve the highest ideals we have, and the value structure we cherish, we should frame our foreign policy on the basis of ground realities. Given below is a brief survey of the guiding principles that are supposed to determine the course of our foreign policy: 1. Pakistan Ideology: Our country has an ideological basis. Pakistan was established with the sole objective of providing the South Asian Muslims with a homeland where they could live with dignity and honor and in the light of democratic principles enunciated by Islam. The founders of Pakistan believed that the Muslims should invoked separate Muslim identity as a positive sentiment. This did not imply hatred for any other nation. The Pakistan ideology demands that Pakistan should establish friendly relations with all its neighboring countries. The peace covenant of Hudaibia established the principle that in the case of a dispute, if one of the warring factions refuses to fall back, the other party should make unilateral concessions for the attainment of peace. History bears witness that a times, nations are able to achieve through peaceful means what they otherwise could not have achieved through war. 2. Regional Factors: The area which was later demarcated as the state of Pakistan had become an arena of the power struggle between the United States of America and the Soviet Union. Fall of the Soviet Empire brought about far-reaching changes in the world politics, but this change did not affect Pakistans position as the most important country of the region. The Peoples Republic of China, which is the emerging economic super power of the world, has very close friendly relations with Pakistan. Afghanistan has undergone rapid changes during the last two decades. Pakistans western neighbor Iran is struggling hard to come out of its internal strife between conservatism and modernism, set in after the revolution of 1979. Landlocked Central Asian States depend upon Pakistan for access to hot water sea ports. These states are overwhelming Muslim and have religious ties with Pakistan. These are the facts that should guide our policy makers towards the formation of a balanced and fruitful foreign policy. 3. Islamic Identity: As a part of the global Muslim community, Pakistan occupies a central place in the chain of Muslim countries stretching from Africa to Far East. The Quaid -e-Azam (RA) attached great importance to Pakistans relations with the Muslim countries, so did his successors. On the other side, all Muslim countries of the

world, Arab and non-Arab alike, look forward to Pakistan for guidance in their cherished case of establishing international Muslim brotherhood.