These have been busy times at the Foreign Office, which is adjusting to the new US policy on Afghanistan and South Asia, but the past fortnight has been particularly intense.
First there was an envoys’ conference, attended by ambassadors in key capitals around the world and major multilateral organizations, to take stock and recommend policy adjustments. Soon after the conference, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif embarked on a whirlwind regional tour to Beijing, Tehran, and Ankara—the first of its kind since he came to the foreign ministry a few weeks back after the change in government.
While little is known about what the envoys suggested to the government, according to a fly on the wall, most of them recommended that (mis)perceptions about the country need to be corrected as a priority for the Pakistani narrative to gain traction in world capitals. The envoys, it is said, advised more engagement with neighbouring countries and major stakeholders in the region.
“Ambassadors are the main interface in the execution of a country’s foreign relations and therefore are in the best position to provide inputs towards policy formulation,” Amb Aziz Khan says to explain the significance of the event. Hence, the recent deliberations would provide valuable suggestions for a course of action and policy adjustments in relation to areas of our primary concern.”
Former foreign secretary Amb Shamshad Ahmad takes a different view, however, and notes that “envoy” conferences are never a policy-making event. Last week’s conference was also no more than a “deliberative retreat for a broader review of our foreign policy with special focus on Trump’s Afghan strategy”.
Some of the outcomes were reflected in the Foreign Minister’s presser at the end of the conference, when he talked about an impending “paradigm shift” in Pakistan’s foreign relations and stressed correcting the national image, and according primacy to the country’s interests.
Mr Asif, in an earlier media interview, had been more forthcoming about talk of the presence of terrorist groups.
He seems to have the right prescription and importantly, understands the urgency as he calls for “swiftly” responding to “seismic changes” in geopolitics. But, are the familiar tidings of ‘paradigm shift in foreign policy’ anything more than political rhetoric?
Generally, there is lot of skepticism about a major shift materializing.
Amb Shamshad is of the opinion that the “high-sounding ‘paradigm shift’ is nothing than anodyne rhetoric”. He calls for changing the world’s perception of the country by stressing its positives for recognition as a responsible place instead of one with problems like terrorism, violence and endemic corruption that get more attention. “For us, at this critical juncture in our history, what is important is not what we are required to do for others’ interests; it is what we ought to do in our own national interest,” he said, reminding of commitments made to the US after 9/11 for self-serving reasons, and not in national interest.
Amb Ashraf Jehangir Qazi too doubts that Mr Asif’s ‘paradigm shift’ is attainable. “A paradigm shift is possible when the parameters of external dependence on the US, China, Saudi Arabia shift to an independent foreign and national policy dependent only on the development and welfare interests of the people.” He is unconvinced that the existing “class structure of decision-making in Pakistan” would allow that to happen.
Regional tour
The new foreign minister visited Beijing, Tehran, and Ankara to push regional leaders for a common position on Afghanistan where the US is planning to intensify its military activities to subdue the Taliban insurgency – something that is also likely to impact the region’s peace and security.
The importance of Mr Asif’s visit to the three capitals, all of which have important stakes in Afghanistan, was to deliver the message in person that Pakistan needs their support to bolster its position ahead of its crucial engagement with the US for the direction of bilateral ties that have come to be seen more through an Afghan lens.
The reassurance Mr Asif received, which Pakistan also wanted to hear from all three countries, is that military strategy cannot resolve the conflict in Afghanistan and the only option is a politically negotiated settlement under an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process. Moreover, all three countries concurred that there has to be a regional role involving the neighbours and other regional states to facilitate the peace process.
Amb Aziz Khan says the joint position taken by these countries carries a lot of weight and strengthens Pakistan’s position on the roadmap for peace in Afghanistan. However, Amb Qazi cautions that the countries visited by Mr Asif “cannot protect us against our own follies”.
Amb Qazi’s point is that only a credible national and foreign policy would resonate in all capitals, including Washington and Delhi: “But every time we give Kabul cause for credible complaint we do a great favour to India. They must really love us!”
The writer is a freelance journalist based in Islamabad and can be reached at mamoonarubab@gmail.com
First there was an envoys’ conference, attended by ambassadors in key capitals around the world and major multilateral organizations, to take stock and recommend policy adjustments. Soon after the conference, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif embarked on a whirlwind regional tour to Beijing, Tehran, and Ankara—the first of its kind since he came to the foreign ministry a few weeks back after the change in government.
While little is known about what the envoys suggested to the government, according to a fly on the wall, most of them recommended that (mis)perceptions about the country need to be corrected as a priority for the Pakistani narrative to gain traction in world capitals. The envoys, it is said, advised more engagement with neighbouring countries and major stakeholders in the region.
“Ambassadors are the main interface in the execution of a country’s foreign relations and therefore are in the best position to provide inputs towards policy formulation,” Amb Aziz Khan says to explain the significance of the event. Hence, the recent deliberations would provide valuable suggestions for a course of action and policy adjustments in relation to areas of our primary concern.”
Former foreign secretary Amb Shamshad Ahmad takes a different view, however, and notes that “envoy” conferences are never a policy-making event. Last week’s conference was also no more than a “deliberative retreat for a broader review of our foreign policy with special focus on Trump’s Afghan strategy”.
Some of the outcomes were reflected in the Foreign Minister’s presser at the end of the conference, when he talked about an impending “paradigm shift” in Pakistan’s foreign relations and stressed correcting the national image, and according primacy to the country’s interests.
Mr Asif, in an earlier media interview, had been more forthcoming about talk of the presence of terrorist groups.
He seems to have the right prescription and importantly, understands the urgency as he calls for “swiftly” responding to “seismic changes” in geopolitics. But, are the familiar tidings of ‘paradigm shift in foreign policy’ anything more than political rhetoric?
Generally, there is lot of skepticism about a major shift materializing.
Amb Shamshad is of the opinion that the “high-sounding ‘paradigm shift’ is nothing than anodyne rhetoric”. He calls for changing the world’s perception of the country by stressing its positives for recognition as a responsible place instead of one with problems like terrorism, violence and endemic corruption that get more attention. “For us, at this critical juncture in our history, what is important is not what we are required to do for others’ interests; it is what we ought to do in our own national interest,” he said, reminding of commitments made to the US after 9/11 for self-serving reasons, and not in national interest.
Amb Ashraf Jehangir Qazi too doubts that Mr Asif’s ‘paradigm shift’ is attainable. “A paradigm shift is possible when the parameters of external dependence on the US, China, Saudi Arabia shift to an independent foreign and national policy dependent only on the development and welfare interests of the people.” He is unconvinced that the existing “class structure of decision-making in Pakistan” would allow that to happen.
Regional tour
The new foreign minister visited Beijing, Tehran, and Ankara to push regional leaders for a common position on Afghanistan where the US is planning to intensify its military activities to subdue the Taliban insurgency – something that is also likely to impact the region’s peace and security.
The importance of Mr Asif’s visit to the three capitals, all of which have important stakes in Afghanistan, was to deliver the message in person that Pakistan needs their support to bolster its position ahead of its crucial engagement with the US for the direction of bilateral ties that have come to be seen more through an Afghan lens.
The reassurance Mr Asif received, which Pakistan also wanted to hear from all three countries, is that military strategy cannot resolve the conflict in Afghanistan and the only option is a politically negotiated settlement under an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process. Moreover, all three countries concurred that there has to be a regional role involving the neighbours and other regional states to facilitate the peace process.
Amb Aziz Khan says the joint position taken by these countries carries a lot of weight and strengthens Pakistan’s position on the roadmap for peace in Afghanistan. However, Amb Qazi cautions that the countries visited by Mr Asif “cannot protect us against our own follies”.
Amb Qazi’s point is that only a credible national and foreign policy would resonate in all capitals, including Washington and Delhi: “But every time we give Kabul cause for credible complaint we do a great favour to India. They must really love us!”
The writer is a freelance journalist based in Islamabad and can be reached at mamoonarubab@gmail.com