Foreign policy is defined as general objectives that guide the activities and relationships of one state in its interactions with other states.
The development of foreign policy is influenced by domestic considerations, the policies or behavior of other states, or plans to advance specific geopolitical designs.
Tools for achieving foreign policy goals can be diplomacy, foreign aid, deterrence sanctions and use of military force.
It is said that a visible foreign policy is always invisible.
But this fact is becoming untrue as most of the world leaders a making their invisible foreign policies visible for their personal benefits, still most of the nations in the world are enjoying international benefits as a result of a goof foreign policy.
They can exert pressure on other nations; they can achieve their long term and short term international goals.
The greatest goal of a good foreign policy is to have a grand strategy to achieve the best.
Unfortunately in the case of Pakistan we never had a very successful foreign policy and the core reason is prevalence of politics over foreign policy , appointment of non professional foreign ministers who don’t have basic capacity of handling international affairs , who lacks vision to put Pakistan case in diplomatic arena.
Since last many years, this position of prime importance is been governed through a make-shift arrangement.
Our foreign affairs are governed by an advisor and very lately a fully fledged foreign minister was announced, but the person was lastly responsible of ministry of power also lacks the foreign vision and is solely dependent on the foreign office, which is silent and always waiting for action to happen.
And soon after any action they are ready for reaction.
The strategic pillars of foreign policy of Pakistan promises priority for a peaceful neighborhood and resolution of disputes through dialogue, directed that trade, investment and scientific collaboration, but are we anywhere near to what our foreign policy goals are. We are stuck up somewhere in cold war and our foreign policy makers still act like cold warriors.
We are still unable to solve any major issues with India, Afghanistan and Iran. We only have cordial relations with China and now look at everything through a SEA PACK mirror.
The war against terrorism continues to financially bleed Pakistan as the country had to spend $123.13 billion, equivalent to Rs 10.373 trillion, in direct and indirect cost due to incidents of terrorism in last 16 years, says Economic Survey of Pakistan 2016-17 issued on Thursday.
The report says that due to war in Afghanistan, Pakistan has faced the most serious consequences from political to security, socio-economic and environmental over the decades.
From hosting millions of refugees to being a major victim of terrorism, the cumulative impact has been enormous in the shape of adverse overall growth rate in all major sectors of the economy.
Normal economic and trading activities were disrupted, resulting in higher costs of doing business including cost of insurance and significant delays in meeting the export orders around the globe.
As a result, Pakistani products gradually lost their market share to their competitors. Economic growth could not pick up as planned during the last decade.
Now look what we get out of all those sacrifices Donald Trump the Us President says “We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting It is time for Pakistan to demonstrate its commitment to civilization, order, and to peace” and that was just the beginning asthe next move was more severe.
The United States has put forward a motion to place Pakistan on a global terrorist-financing watch list with an anti-money laundering monitoring group, A meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) member states is due to take place next week in Paris, where the organization could adopt the motion on Pakistan.
The FATF, an intergovernmental body based in Paris, sets global standards for fighting illicit finance.
Now we have to take immediate action through our foreign policy, our foreign ministry should be working round the clock chaired by our very learned foreign minister.
But the question remains why we were not aware of US plans? Why our lobby in US is not functioning at all? Why we were not alert enough to notice the emergence of a new global nexus between USA, Israel and India.
Its time for us to take a decision, lets vote for a party in future elections which has trained people to head important ministries.
In the words of Bernie Sanders “Inequality, corruption, oligarchy, and authoritarianism are inseparable, they must be understood as part of the same system, and fought in the same way”.
Foreign policy must take into account the outrageous income and wealth inequality that exists globally and in our own country.
Are we ready to take our foreign policy seriously or we still wanted to continue with the bad foreign policy with no results?
In majority of the cases, Pakistan stands alone even we are unable to draw world attention to Indian atrocities in Kashmir, Indian Involvement in Baluchistan and RAW activities in Pakistan.
We failed to explain the great Indian presence in Afghanistan. Two years back we presented a dossier in UN general assembly on all above mentioned issues but due to our foreign office vigilance it is still under perusal stage.
Let us wake up before it is too late.
