The Conduct of Pakistan's Foreign Policy: Structure, Strengths, and Issues (2018-2020)

Owing to its character and location, Pakistan is among the countries that often remain in international focus. Situated in one of the world's most-happening regions, the state and nation of Pakistan always have several challenges and options to work their way through. Naturally, the foreign office of Pakistan is expected to do a lot on various fronts to tap the opportunities, deal with the challenges, safeguard national interests, and serve overseas Pakistanis. This office, however, works with several limitations in terms of its capacity and the liaison with the relevant policy-making institutions in the country. The incumbent government in Pakistan had come with the promise of strengthening the foreign service of Pakistan through expansion, modernization, and better coordination. It, however, seems to have a lot more to do during the rest of its current tenure to actualize its promise. There certainly are achievements and positive developments that offer foundations for further developments but a detailed look at the conduct of national policy asks for a renewed and more inclusive approach at the external front. This paper reviews the operational, institutional, and political factors that have shaped the conduct of foreign policy by the current regime during the first half of its five-year tenure. It underscores the strengths and issues that need to be acknowledged and properly tackled.

Content

Author and article information

Journal

Affiliations

Article

All content is freely available without charge to users or their institutions. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission of the publisher or the author. Articles published in the journal are distributed under a http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

History

Custom metadata

Notes

1. Khurshid Ahmad Khan Yusufi, comp., ed., Speeches, Statements & Messages of the Quaid-e-Azam (Lahore: Bazm-e-Iqbal, 1996), 2694-95.
2. The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan of 1973, Art. 40 (1973).
3. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, GoP, “Data and Statistics” (Government of Pakistan, 2021), accessed February 5, 2021, http://MOFA.gov.pk/data-and-statistics/.
4. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, GoP, “Missions Abroad” (Government of Pakistan, 2021), http://MOFA.gov.pk/mission-abroad/. The number of personnel of the MOFA including other departments (Grade 17 to 22) in Pakistan's missions abroad are: the US (Washington) 24, the United Kingdom (UK) 22, China 21, Jeddah 21, the United Nations (New York) 15, India 15, Dubai 14, France 13, Afghanistan 12, Iran 11, Geneva 11, Belgium 10, Bahrain 10, Germany 10, Qatar 10, and the UAE 10. There are two missions each having nine diplomats, five missions each having eight diplomats, six missions each having seven diplomats, four missions each having six diplomats, nine missions each having five diplomats, 13 missions each having four diplomats, 21 missions each having three diplomats, 31 missions each having two diplomats, and seven missions each having one diplomat.
5. Vacant from July 2020.
6. Vacant from April 2019 due to transfer of the high commissioner and then the National Security Committee (NSC) decided on August 7, 2019 to downgrade diplomatic relations with India and not to send high commissioner to New Delhi due to India's illegal annexation of IIOJ&K.
7. “Gen Akbar Appointed Ambassador to Saudi Arabia,” Dawn, January 20, 2021, https://www.dawn.com/news/1602478.
8. The Advisory Council has held 15 meetings. The FM Connect held three sessions with academics, think tank analysts and intellectuals at foreign office and a number of digital series with the global thought leaders. The Public Diplomacy Consultative Group has held one meeting. These meetings cover period from August 2018 to December 31, 2020.
9. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Pakistan, “Launch of Foreign Minister's Portal in Five Pakistan Missions Abroad,” press release, June 28, 2021, http://MOFA.gov.pk/launch-of-foreign-ministers-portal-in-five-pakistan-missions-abroad/.
10. “PM Khan Talks Economy, Governance and Civil-Military Ties in Wide-Ranging TV Interview,” Dawn, December 3, 2018, https://www.dawn.com/news/1449190.
11. Details of COAS' visits will ensue under the relevant headings in small briefs.
12. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Pakistan, “Resolution Passed by the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) in Joint Sitting,” press release, March 1, 2019, http://MOFA.gov.pk/resolution-passed-by-the-majlis-e-shoora-parliament-in-joint-sitting/.
13. National Assembly of Pakistan, GoP, Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) of Pakistan Joint Sitting 2019, report (Government of Pakistan, 2019), 101-103, http://na.gov.pk/uploads/documents/1566909521_827.pdf.
14. Senate of Pakistan, Government of Pakistan, “Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Passes Unanimous Resolution Rejecting US Interference Regarding CPEC, Foreign Minister Briefs on Kashmir, Kartarpur and Iran-Saudi Mediation, Opposition to be Consulted on Formulation of Kashmir Strategy,” press release, November 26, 2019, http://www.senate.gov.pk/com/pressreleasedetail.php?id=134&pressid=3428.
15. Senate of Pakistan, Government of Pakistan, “The Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Meeting,” press release, September 25, 2020, http://www.senate.gov.pk/com/pressreleasedetail.php?id=134&pressid=3708.
16. The senate has passed the CPEC Authority Bill on May 27, 2021.
17. Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, “International Obligations,” Dawn, July 18, 2021, https://www.dawn.com/news/1635700/international-obligations.
18. Foreign Minister (FM), Foreign Secretary (FS), Prime Minister (PM)

Comments

Comment on this article

Navigation

Boston

131 Hartwell Ave., Suite 210
Lexington, MA 02421
USA

Phone: +1 781-222-5200

Berlin

Pappelallee 78/79
10437 Berlin
Germany

Budapest

Fehérvári út 79.
H-1119 Budapest
Hungary

Phone: +36-1-372-0520
Fax: +36-1-372-0527

© 2024 ScienceOpen – All rights reserved.