- Studies Note

Pakistan and saarc

Saarc countries:-

Afghanistan

Following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, the Pakistani government played a vital role in supporting the Mujahideen and assisting Afghan refugees. Pakistan absorbed an estimated 3 million refugees and provided shelter, education, and places to work. After the Soviet withdrawal in February 1989, Pakistan, with cooperation from the world community, continued to provide extensive support for displaced Afghans. In 1999, the United States provided approximately $70 million in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and Afghan refugees in Pakistan, mainly through multilateral organizations and Non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Afghan President Hamid Karzai with U.S. President Barack Obama and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari during a US-Afghan-Pakistan Trilateral meeting at the White House in Washington, DC.

Pakistani strategists view Afghanistan as providing "strategic depth" in the event of a war with neighboring India. In the event that the Indian Army crosses into Pakistan, the Pakistan Army would temporary locate supplies in Afghanistan and prepare for a counter-offensive. Furthermore, many Pakistanis see in Afghanistan and Afghans a common bond based on religion, history, culture, language and ethnic ties. At various times, Pakistan backed the mujahideen against the Soviets, mujahideen against each other and the Taliban against the Iranian-backed Northern Alliance.

The overthrow of the Taliban regime in November 2001 has seen somewhat strained relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The present Karzai administration in Kabul feels that the remnants of the former Taliban government are being supported by factions within Pakistan for the same above reasons. However, Pakistan has said the government cannot control all elements of its intelligence agency, the ISI, which several countries accuse of contributing to instability in Afghanistan. In 2006 Afghan President Hamid Karzai warned that "Iran and Pakistan and others are not fooling anyone" when it come to interfering in his country.

"If they don’t stop, the consequences will be … that the region will suffer with us equally. In the past we have suffered alone; this time everybody will suffer with us.… Any effort to divide Afghanistan ethnically or weaken it will create the same thing in the neighboring countries. All the countries in the neighborhood have the same ethnic groups that we have, so they should know that it is a different ball game this time

India

Born out from the furnace of animosity, India and Pakistan, the twin brothers have a history of unique relations. There is much in common between Republic of India and Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

The diplomatic relations developed soon after independence but these relations did not ensure good friendship. The blaming process started soon after the inception of Pakistan when during the world’s biggest mass migration both states were unable to provide security to minorities. At that time there were 680 princely states and their future was to be decided according to their own will. Junagadh and Kashmir are two of these states which are still a bone of contention between India and Pakistan.

Junagadh was composed of 88% Hindu Majority with a Muslim ruler named Nawab Mahabat Khan. The ruler voted for Pakistan but India did not accept it on the plea of heavy Hindu majority. The other reason projected by India was that the state of Junagadh was encircled by Indian state and giving it to Pakistan would contradict the two nation theory. The stand of Pakistan was on the basis of the Muslim ruler and the maritime link of Pakistan with junagadh coastal line.
One the other hand, the ruler of Kashmir, Hair Singh, wanted to join India but the majority of Muslim population was in the favour of Pakistan. Maharaja Hair Singh made a “stand still agreement” with the Government of Pakistan. However, the rumoures spread in Pakistan that Mahraja Hari Singh was going to accede with India. The forces of Pakistan invaded in Kashmir in 1947 and Hari Singh asked India for help.

Indian Armed forces violating the provision of their constitution entered into the jurisdiction of Kashmir. In 1957, Pakistan acquired Azad Kashmir and India captured state of Jammu and Kashmir. Both of these parts are being held by the same countries which occupied these states forcefully.

In 1965 India launched operation Meghdoot and captured 80% of Siachen Glacier. 1971 was a black year in the history of Pakistan as she lost its eastern wing as India intervened to favour Bengali people and seized the Qasim part. 90, 000 Pakistani soliders surrendered in Bangladesh. In July 1972 P.M India Gandhi and PM Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto met in Indian Hill station of Simla and signed an agreement to return 90, 000 Pak personnel, and that India would get its captured territory in the west. They also agreed that from then on, they would settle their disputes through peaceful bilateral negotiations. Eventually, the trade relation restarted in 1976 but the Afghan crisis of 1979 again disrupted the peaceful process started in 1976.
Pakistan supported Taliban and India favoured Soviet Union. India was also worried about US military aid to Pakistan, Pakistan’s purchase of arms from us and the advancement in her nuclear programme. The change in leadership brought a new era of relation between the two rivals. In Dec 1988 Benazir Bhutto Shaheed and Rajiv Gandhi resumed talks on different issues melding cultured exchange, civil aviation and not to attack each other nuclear facilities. At that time BB said.

“Burry the Hatchet; we have had enough of it. Let’s start a new chapter. India has a new generation leadership. Rajiv & I belong to a new generation. We have some kinship. He father was assassinated and so was my father. He lost his brother and so have I we both can start from clean state.”

In 1997, high level talks were resumed after 3 years. Prime Minister of India and Pakistan met twice and foreign secretaries conducted 3 rounds of talks in which they identified 8 outstanding issues to focuss. These 8 issues were

Kashmir issue
Water crisis
Sir creek issue
Rann of kutch
MFN status
Siachen issue
State sponsored issue
Nuclear Deterrence

In September 1997 the talks broke down on structural issue where as in May 1998 the situation became harder because of nuclear experiment conducted by Pakistan. The environment further became deplorable when Indian Air lines Flight IC 814 was hijacked in 24 Dec 1999. The plan landed in Lahore for refuelling but the final destination was Kandhar, Afghanistan. Rivalry increased when attack was conducted on Indian parliament on Dec 2001. India blamed Jash-e-Mohammad for that act. The Samjhota express carnage of 18th February 2007 added fuel to fire.

Bangladesh

After the independence of Bangladesh, Pakistan reluctantly recognized the country in 1974 under pressure of other Islamic nations. In that year, the Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto visited Bangladesh. But due to his arrogant attitude bilateral relations between the countries could not improve. Full diplomatic relations were established only in 1976 during Khondaker Mostaque Ahmed's regime. At that time, a very senior retired civil servant M. Khurshid who had experience of working in East Pakistan was appointed as Pakistan’s first Ambassador.

The establishment of diplomatic relations also started exchanges at the highest political level. From Bangladesh side the first visit was undertaken by President Ziaur Rahman to Pakistan in September 1977. Begum Zia herself had visited Pakistan in January 2004 to attend the 12th SAARC summit. Pakistan's military President Pervez Musharraf visited Bangladesh in July 2002. Its Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz paid a bilateral visit to Bangladesh in November 2004 and also attended the 13th SAARC summit in Dhaka in November 2005.

History plays a crucial role in Bangladesh-Pakistan relations. Bangladesh had won its independence from Pakistan after waging the War of Liberation in 1971. Bangladeshi population which has suffered a lot during that period expects an unconditional apology from Pakistan for the action of its army.

General Niazi who had surrendered to Joint Indian and Bangladeshi forces on December 16, 1971, reportedly accepted in an interview in 1998 that approximately thirty thousand Hindus were killed and many more Bangladeshi freedom fighters in 1971. General Rao Forman Ali who is also considered as one of the architects of the military action on Bangladeshi people on March 26, 1971 acknowledged that between 40,000 to 50,000 Bangladeshis were killed. Though Pakistani leaders accept this now in a roundabout way they still give the impression that both sides were at fault. As army has always ruled Pakistan either directly or indirectly, an apology against the acts of army has been difficult to get.

Bangladeshis also want the government of Pakistan to release the Report of the Hamoodur Rahman Commission on the 1971 tragedy. Along with them many people in Pakistan are also interested in knowing about the people who were responsible for the tragic events in 1971. The writ petition filed by a senior retired Pakistani civil servant Syed Alamdar Raza to the High Court some years ago for release of the report has not yet been disposed of. The reluctance of the Pakistani government to make this report public has not helped the bilateral relations.

History has left other unresolved issues as well. Most important of them are division of assets of united Pakistan, and repatriation of stranded Pakistanis (so-called "Biharis") to Pakistan. Bangladesh claims that Pakistan should pay at least $4 billion as its share. Successive Pakistani governments have been reluctant to discuss the issue of division of assets. They think that with the passage of time this issue will die down.

Dhaka also wants Pakistan to release US$200 million which was received by Pakistan as donation from different countries for the 1970 cyclone victims of the then East Pakistan.

bhuton

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Bhutan on Saturday agreed to further boost their bilateral ties in trade and tourism and continue supporting each other at international forums.

The decision came during bilateral talks between Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and his Bhutanese counterpart Lyonchhen Jigmi Yoezer Thinley at the Prime Minister House on Saturday.

The hour-long exclusive and delegation level talks covered a whole range of bilateral issues besides regional situation.

Thinley who is here on a three-day visit to Pakistan on the invitation of the prime minister was accorded a warm welcome on his arrival with a guard of honour by a contingent of armed forces.

During the meeting Gilani stressed the imperative that Pakistan and Bhutan must strengthen their bilateral ties on the basis of equality, mutual respect and benefit. He called for enhanced political contacts including parliamentary exchanges and invited the speaker of Bhutan’s parliament on behalf of the speaker National Assembly to visit Pakistan. He proposed that Pakistani parliamentarians should visit Bhutan to study the Bhutanese development model especially its concept of gross national happiness based on more holistic and natural development rather than on the economic index.

The prime minister said that both countries should explore possibilities of sharing information and good practices as both of them have huge potential of hydropower generation as well as on preservation of environmental and natural disaster management.

He expressed his earnest hope that the goodwill existing between the governments and people of Pakistan and Bhutan would be translated into substantive economic and commercial investment as well as educational and cultural links.

Noting that the most revered Guru Padma Sambahawa, the ‘second Buddha,’ was born in Swat, Gilani urged his guest to consider religious tourism from Bhutan to Pakistan and invited him to visit Swat in his next official visit.

He also stressed need for exchange of cultural entourage, youth groups as well as tourists and research scholars between the two countries on discovering the common historical and cultural heritage. He offered Pakistan’s cooperation to Bhutan in the fields of education and human development by offering increased number of scholarships for the Bhutanese students particularly in medicine and engineering fields. He reiterated Pakistan’s standing offer for the training of Bhutanese diplomats in Pakistan’s Foreign Service Academy.

Prime Minister Gilani said that Pakistan greatly appreciated the eminent role played by Bhutan, its government and people in steering regional cooperation towards its objectives under the Prime Minister of Bhutan’s Chairmanship of Saarc, adding that Saarc spirit must be carried forward for promoting peace, stability and well being of the people of South Asia for which Pakistan would be happy to work closely with Bhutan to realize the vision of Saarc Charter.

Nepal

Nepal established diplomatic relations with India after the latter's independence in 1947, but did not do so with Pakistan. In 1950, Nepal signed a Treaty of Peace and Friendship with India, creating an extensive relationship of economic, strategic and defence cooperation. Nepal thus remained aloof from Pakistan, which was at conflict with India.^[2][3][4] However, Nepal's resentment of Indian influence perceived to be excessive prompted the Nepalese government to develop relations with the People's Republic of China and Pakistan

Nepal and Pakistan signed a protocol for establishing diplomatic relations in 1962 and exchanged ambassadors and set up embassies in 1963, when Ayub Khan, the President of Pakistan made a special visit to Nepal.^[1] Both nations also signed agreements to reciprocate the "Most Favored Nation" status of importance for developing trade and cooperation.^[1] In 1963, Pakistan agreed to provide Nepal with free trade access and transport facilities through the port of Chittagong in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and established an air link. This arrangement reduced Nepal's dependence on India for trading privileges.^[1] Although Nepal officially maintained neutrality during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, it was one of the first to recognise the independence of Bangladesh.

In recent years, both countries began developing military cooperation, with Nepal importing arms from Pakistan.^[7] Condemned and isolated from India, Great Britain and the United States between 2004 and 2006 for repressing democracy, the Nepalese monarchy developed military cooperation with China and Pakistan, who offered extensive military support, arms and military equipment to Nepal for the monarchy to stay in power and fight the Maoist insurgency.^[8][7]. Both Pakistan and China have provided medium-tech weapons to Nepal.

Despite an extensive 1982 trade agreement, the volume of bilateral trade remains comparatively small at USD 4.8 million.^[9] Pakistan's total exports to Nepal are worth USD 1.631 million while Nepal's exports to Pakistan tally USD 3.166 million.^[9] Both countries have recently stepped up efforts to promote bilateral trade, especially in textiles, oilseeds, extraction of oil and tourism; Pakistan also offered a USD 5 million line of credit to Nepal.^[10][9][8] Nepal and Pakistan are signatories to the South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) and members of the South Asian Economic Union.

Sri Lanka

Relations between the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka are generally warm. In the past, Pakistan assisted the Government of Sri Lanka in supplying High-Tech military equipment to the Sri Lankan army in the civil war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam^[1]. Pakitan-Sri Lanka relationship also foster on strong mutual Sino-Pakistan and Sino-Sri Lankan relationship, as China maintain strong mutual interest in the economic and military development of Sri Lanka and Pakistan, and unlike Western countries, concerns for human right violations are not raised within the trio of these countries. Both Pakistan and Sri Lanka are also members of SAARC.

There is a Pakistani embassy located in Colombo^[2] and a Sri Lankan embassy situated in Islamabad^[3].

Economic cooperation

Pakistan is the second largest trading partner of Sri Lanka in South Asia. Sri Lanka was the first country to sign a Free Trade Agreement with Pakistan, which became operational from June 12, 2005. 4,000 items can be imported to Pakistan from Sri Lanka.^[4] Bilateral trade between the 2 countries was US$400 million in early 2010, and is expected to increase to US$2 billion by 2012.^[5]. In November 2010, President Asif Ali Zardari mulled a 250 million dollar export credit line that Pakistan would extend to Sri Lanka. Trade between the two countries reached $500 million by the end of 2010^[6]

Defense cooperation

See also Pakistan's military assistance to Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka started buying arms and ammunition from Pakistan in a big way from 1999. The total purchases until December 2007 were worth $50 million while there has been a sudden jump in the quantity of merchandise ordered in 2009 and the amount has been tripled.^[7] With India reluctant to sign a Defense Cooperation Agreement with Sri Lanka and unwilling to supply it with the kind of weapons it is looking for, Colombo has turned increasingly to Pakistan. There are segments of opinion in Sri Lanka that are in fact in favor of the government finalizing a defense cooperation agreement with Islamabad.^[8]

In May 2000, President Musharraf of Pakistan supplied millions of dollars of much-needed weapons to the Sri Lankan government, when separatist Tamil Tiger rebels were about to recapture their former capital of Jaffna.^[9] In August 2006, suspected LTTE rebels attempted to assassinate Pakistan's ambassador to Sri Lanka, Bashir Wali Mohamed, with a claymore mine in Colombo. Mohamed was not hurt but seven others died^[10]. In May 2008, Lt. Gen Sarath Fonseka of the Sri Lanka Army held talks with his Pakistan Army counter-parts regarding the sale of military equipment, weapons and ammunition. The sale of 22 Al-Khalid MBTs to the Sri Lanka Army was finalized during these talks in a deal worth over US$100 million.^[11]

In April 2009, Sri Lanka requested $25 million worth of 81 mm, 120 mm and 130 mm mortar ammunition to be delivered within a month.^[12] During a state visit by President Asif Ali Zardari to Sri Lanka in Nov 2010, Sri Lanka evinced interest in purchase of Pakistani al-Khalid Main Battle Tanks, light weapons and ammunition, and the Sino-Pak joint venture product JF-17 Thunder aircraft^[13]. Pakistan has also offered to train Sri Lankan spies for intelligence gathering purposes^[14] Apart from traditional military assistance to Sri Lanka, Pakistan has also offered to train Sri Lankan police and intelligence service officers^[15

Pakistan And Islamic countries

Saudi Arabia

Pakistan's relations with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia are very special for two reasons: one for the presence of the two holiest Muslims places at Makkah and Medina, and secondly Saudi Arabia's unequivocal support, both diplomatic and economic, to Pakistan since its independence. The ties were at their zenith during the late Shah Faisal's regime, who viewed Pakistan as his second home. People in Pakistan still revere the late Shah and his photographs can still be seen on the backs of artfully decorated trucks and buses. Even today, The Saudi-Pak relations are very warm and cordial, and are time tested.

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are leading members of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Saudi Arabia was one of the strongest supporters of Pakistan during Pakistan's wars with India, especially opposing the creation of Bangladesh from Pakistan's eastern wing in 1971. While it had supported Pakistan's stance on the Kashmir conflict, it has since endorsed the Indo-Pakistani peace process. With Pakistan, it provided extensive financial and political support to the Taliban and the Afghan mujahideen fighting the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s.^[1][2][3]

During the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War, Pakistan sent troops to protect the Islamic holy sites in Saudi Arabia, but strains developed when some Pakistani politicians and Gen. Mirza Aslam Beg, the then-chief of staff of the Pakistani armyopenly expressed support for Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq and its invasion of Kuwait.^[4] Along with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan were the only states to recognise Taliban rule in Afghanistan. In May 1998, before Pakistan's Chagai-I nuclear tests, Saudi Arabia promised to supply 50,000 barrels per day of free oil to help Pakistan cope with likely economic sanctions in the aftermath.^[2]

Military cooperation

It is also speculated that Saudi Arabia secretly funded Pakistan's nuclear programme and seeks to purchase atomic weapons from Pakistan to enable it to counteract possible threats from arsenals of the weapons of mass destruction possessed by Iran, Iraq and Israel.^[5][6][7] Both nations have received high-level delegations of scientists, government and military experts seeking to study the development of a nuclear programme.^[5][8][2]

Cultural and commercial ties

Saudi Arabia has also provided extensive religious and educational aid to Pakistan, being a major contributor to the construction of mosques and madrassas (religious schools) across Pakistan, the Faisal Mosque (dedicated to King Faisal of Saudi Arabia) in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. The major Pakistani city of Lyallpur was also renamed Faisalabad in honour of King Faisal in 1977.

Saudi Arabia remains a major destination for immigration amongst Pakistanis, the number of whom living in Saudi Arabia stands between 900,000 and 1 million (seePakistanis in Saudi Arabia).^[9][10] Saudi Arabia was a major supporter of the "Islamisation" programme of the military ruler Gen. Zia-ul-Haq in the 1970s. In 2006, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia was awarded the Nishan-e-Pakistan, the highest civilian decoration of Pakistan.^[11]

Saudi Arabia is the largest source of petroleum for Pakistan.^[12] It also supplies extensive financial aid to Pakistan and remittance from Pakistani migrants to Saudi Arabia is also a major source of foreign currency.^[13] In recent years, both countries have exchanged high-level delegations and developed plans to expand bilateral cooperation in trade, education, real estate, tourism, information technology,communications and agriculture.^[10][14] Saudi Arabia is aiding the development of trade relations with Pakistan through the Gulf Cooperation Council, with which Pakistan is negotiating a free trade agreement; the volume of trade between Pakistan and GCC member states in 2006 stood at USD 11 billion.

Turkey

Pakistan's relations with Turkey are of special significance since support of the Muslims of Indian sub continent to their Turk brethren in its war against the Allies during and after the WW-I and later due Pakistan's support to Turkey on the issue of Cyprus. Even today, upon hearing the name of Pakistan, the faces of Turks glitter with deep love and affection. And this is equally reciprocated in Pakistan as well. A fine example of this traditional love and bondage is the demonstration of thousands of Turk students in Ankara on 11 September 1965 when Pakistan was in war with India, chanting slogans against India and reiterating their desire to go and fight with their Pakistan brothers.

Pakistan, Turkey and Iran have been the members of RCD (Regional Cooperation for Development) since 1964 till overthrow of Shah of Iran's regime in Iran. Now the same organization, renamed as ECO in 1984 has more members of the regions, and Turkey continues to support Pakistan in ECO on all matters of economic cooperation and development.

iran

Iran was the first country that recognized Pakistan on 22 August 1947. Pakistan's relations with Iran have since been friendly, if not very friendly - mainly due to differences of Islamic beliefs. However, Iran has always supported Pakistan in troubled times and was in forefronts to provide all possible assistance to Pakistan with its disputes with India, specially in the 1965 Indo-Pak war. Since the institution of Islamists government in Iran, the relations between the two countries remain just cordial and lukewarm. Pakistan on its part is always on the lookout to support Iran on all international foras, specially these days on its nuclear issue. The proposed gas pipeline between Iran - Pakistan and India may further improve the relations between Iran and Pakistan.

Bahrain

Bahrain–Pakistan relations refers to foreign relations between Bahrain andPakistan. Bahrain has an embassy in Islamabad and Consulate-General in Karachi, whereas Pakistan has an embassy in Manama. Both countries are members OICand G 77.^[

Economic relations

The trade between Bahrain and Pakistan has reached to $250 million. Bahrain is seeing Pakistan with a potential of being good for agricultural investments and dairy related industry, whereas Pakistani business community is interested in Bahrain's booming property market, banking and trade.^[6]A Pakistan-Bahrain Joint Economic Commission to boost bilateral trade and investment.^[7]

Major exports to Pakistan from Bahrain: Agglomerated iron ores and concentrates; aluminum wire and alloys; Paper & P/board; Rags, scrap, twine; Waste and scrap of cast iron; Stoppers, lids, caps and other closures of plastic; Aerated waters, flavored or sweetened; unalloyed aluminum; Aluminum waste and scrap; Copper waste and scrap; air conditions (without refrigeration unit); Prepared additives for cements or concretes; Yarn waste; Unbleached cotton fabrics; Other of waste oil; Sugar; Waste of Vinyl-Chloride/PL; and Other scrap of cell battery.^[8]

Major exports to Bahrain from Pakistan: Rice; Cotton and cotton yarn; Iron or steel; Mangoes, Oranges; Other fresh vegetables; Tubes, Pipes and Hollow profiles of cast iron; Polyester fibers; and Carcasses and half-carcasses of frozen bovine animals.

Defence relations

The defence co-operation between Bahrain and Pakistan is also very strong, both countries have further agreed to enhance defence co-operation. Bahrain is also taking interest to obtain army and defence equipments of Pakistan.Cultural relations

People of Bahrain and Pakistan are close to each other as a sizeable number of Pakistanis are living and working in Bahrain numbering over 60,000. Pakistani community in Bahrain is contributing positively towards the socio-economic development of the country.^[10]However, the naturalisation of Sunni Arabs and Pakistanis serving in Bahrain’s security forces by granting Bahrani citizenship is a major bone of contention for Bahrain’s Shiite opposition.^[11]

Pakistan maintains close military ties with Saudi Arabia, providing extensive support, arms and training for the Military of Saudi Arabia.^[2] Pilots of the Pakistan Air Force flew aircraft of the Royal Saudi Air Force to repel an incursion from South Yemen in 1969. In the 1970s and 1980s, approximately 15,000 Pakistani soldiers were stationed in the kingdom.^[2] Saudi Arabia has negotiated the purchase of Pakistani ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.^[2] It is also speculated that Saudi Arabia secretly funded Pakistan's nuclear programme and seeks to purchase atomic weapons from Pakistan to enable it to counteract possible threats from arsenals of the weapons of mass destruction possessed by Iran, Iraq and Israel.^[5][6][7] Both nations have received high-level delegations of scientists, government and military experts seeking to study the development of a nuclear programme

Other Muslim Countries

Relations with Other Muslim Countries: Pakistan attaches a special value to its relations with Islamic countries and is committed unreservedly to all Muslim causes and the strengthening of cooperation among Islamic countries. This has been an unshakeable pillar of our foreign policy. Pakistan has earned the esteem of the Islamic world for its consistent and effective advocacy of Muslim causes, specially at the United Nations. The Islamic world stretches from the Far East Morocco in the West and provides Pakistan with special bonds that stretch half way across the globe and across cultures. The support of the "Ummah" has contributed to our success in having our resolutions adopted at the UN, and in elections to various UN bodies.
Pakistan enjoys very warm and cordial relations with all Muslim countries, specially Indonesia, Malaysia, Jordan and Morocco. Indonesia was among those countries who not only recognized Pakistan soon after the partition, but its president Sukarno also paid an official visit to Pakistan as early as 1950. Indonesia also supported and helped Pakistan during 1965 Indo-Pak war against India. Jordan has all along been a strong ally of Pakistan. Prince Hasan bin Talal, brother of late King Hussain married from Pakistan, which further cemented the relations between the two countries.
Of late, Pakistan has also developed strong economic ties with Malaysia and under ex prime minister Mr. Mahatir Muhammad, the relations between the two countries grew more strong and lasting. The Middle East region is a major trading partner accounting for annual exports of around US$ 1.4 billion, and is host to 1.5 million expatriate workers from Pakistan who send substantial home remittances.

CONCLUSION

CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS

he review of Pakistan's foreign policy shows that Pakistan's goals have remained more or less Tconstant, although their scope was often redefined and new dimensions were added to them. The diplomatic and military strategies to pursue these goals varied over time. The changes in the strategies are understandable because a host of factors influence the foreign policy choices of a country, which include the dynamics of regional and international situation, the availability of human and material resources and the disposition and priorities of the policy makers. As these change over time, foreign policy must also change in its approach to bilateral, regional and global issues and problems. Pakistan began with an independent foreign policy in 1947.

However, it tilted towards the West in a period of 7 years due to serious economic and security pressures. It maintained a policy of close interaction in the security and economic fields with the West in general and the U.S. in particular in the mid and late 1950s, the 1980s, and now since September 2001. It pursued independent to non-aligned foreign policy from mid-60s to the end of the 1970s and assigned a great importance to its interaction with the Muslim states and the issues and problems of the developing world.

Pakistan is currently an active player in the global efforts for combating religious extremism and terrorism with a policy that extremism and terrorism pose serious threats to global security as well as to Pakistan's internal peace, stability and economic development. Pakistan has made some difficult decisions in pursuing counter terrorism and for ensuring peace and stability in the immediate neighbourhood in order to boost its image at the international level, restore international confidence in the ability of the Pakistani state and government to put their socio-economic house in order, and shape up as a democratically oriented, modern and enlightened Muslim polity that does not allow its territory to be used by extremist groups.

Pakistan’s Foreign Policy: An Overview