Economic engagement with India serves Pakistan's interests
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Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto recently gave a speech at the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad, a prestigious think tank on foreign policy challenges and how the government plans to conduct it. It was a comprehensive speech covering a wide range of issues that reflected how the PML-led coalition under his stewardship would be dealing with foreign policy issues. It exuded a breath of fresh air and was clearly a departure from the past in many ways that had led Pakistan nowhere. Not that Bhutto thought that the challenges facing the country were easy to manage but he emphasized the need for a more balanced and nuanced approach in dealing with these. The point that the government would be pursuing a humble foreign policy was aimed at disassociating from Imran Khan’s highly combative stance on dealing with issues with US and major powers.
While the canvass of his talk was broad based and touched on relations with major and regional powers and critical issues such as inheriting an IMF deal that is outdated, that has ignored major developments such as the spread of Covid, the change of regime in Kabul and the Ukrainian and Russian conflict that have adversely impacted on the economy of the country. Diplomatically too, Pakistan was internationally isolated. The FM emphasized that the cumulative impact of these factors has made life difficult for the people. And in the backdrop of these challenges, Pakistan has to conduct its foreign policy and steer its complex relationship with India. The redeeming factor is that there is a broad consensus in the unity government on policy issues.
One area of special significance which the FM highlighted was the current frozen relations between Pakistan and India that are not serving the interests of the people, and that the ice has to be broken. He cited the example of China and US engaging extensively in issues of trade and commerce despite their serious political differences and strategic rivalry. There is the other example of Taiwan being one of China’s leading trading partner, even though they are politically at loggerheads.
The foreign minister posed the central question: Does it serve Pakistan’s interests or in any way facilitate its goals, to have practically cut all engagement with India?
Talat Masood
Of course, as FM Bhutto clarified, this is not to overlook the gross human rights violations and unilateral changes to the constitution of Kashmir and its integration with India. The gist of his thinking is that not engaging with India did not prevent it from integrating Kashmir and brazenly defying UNSC resolutions and bilateral commitments on Kashmir. In fact, it has given it a carte blanche to undo the constitution and reconstruct the state of Jammu and Kashmir and change its demographic structure in favor of the minority community.
Consequently, with draconian laws in operation and international indifference, the BJP Hindutva government feels emboldened to crush the freedom struggle through the use of brute force. Pakistan will do its utmost to highlight the plight of Kashmiris and fully support their freedom struggle, but there is indifference to this plight by major powers-- be it the West or Russia and even China. The unfortunate aspect is that even Muslim countries have not pursued the Palestinian or Kashmir cause that their collective weight could carry. Pakistan too, due to its internal weaknesses and external dependence is handicapped, although on Kashmir there is unanimity of support across the political divide.
The Foreign Minister alluded to the delimitation commission and the Islamophobic remarks of a BJP official that sent a wave of anguish across the Muslim world. These events betrayed the extent to which the BJP-led government has promoted disdain against Muslims, creating an environment that makes engagement extremely difficult.
The Foreign Minister posed the central question: Despite these objective conditions, does it serve Pakistan’s interests or in any way facilitate its goals, to have practically cut all engagement with India? He cited the example of late Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto engaging with her counterpart and on other occasions Pakistani and Indian leaders who have kept lines of communication open.
Countries even during wars have maintained contact. More important, was his emphasis that had we sustained economic engagement with India and maintained a reasonable level, it would have moderated Indian policy-making and positively influenced the Pakistani side too. But unfortunately, both countries’ leadership is pursuing policies that are undermining their national interests. Apart from other factors, if Indian and Pakistani economies were closely integrated, they could have been in a position to influence policy-making. To begin with, they should formally open lines of communication. As the FM mentioned, irrespective of the position the government of India may be taking, the people of India cannot be blamed.
Experiences over the years remind us that peoples’ thinking and their likings and prejudices are influenced by relations between governments. Brief interactions with the media or meetings at the individual level abroad during conferences is certainly not enough to change the dynamic.
— Talat Masood is a retired Lieutenant General from Pakistan Army and an eminent scholar on national security and political issues.
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