Falling to pieces

After the regime change in Pakistan, with Shehbaz Sharif at the helm, people thought that Pakistan's foreign policy — which had taken a severe beating under Imran Khan's rule — would see some signs of hope. However, such hopes were belied by the current dispensation, as demonstrated by the appointment of a naïve Foreign Minister like Bilawal Bhutto Zardari who is not only inexperienced but also lacks adequate maturity to usher in fresh changes in the foreign policy. Notably, the current foreign policy of Pakistan is carrying forward the same script as drafted by the PTI. Perhaps, the only visible change seems to be a genuine attempt to mend the worsened ties with the US.

Interestingly, among the priority trips overseas, Bilawal rushed to the US almost immediately after taking over as Foreign Minister and called on the US Secretary of State, assuring him of all possible measures to bring back to rails the damaged relationship between the US and Pakistan. Intriguingly, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari made a faux pas before US State Department officials by justifying Imran Khan's visit to Moscow coinciding with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This appears to be perplexing to the sceptics of Pakistan's foreign policy, as how could a vehement critic of ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan — Bilawal Bhutto Zardari — could go to the extent of shielding Imran Khan over his visit to Moscow? Imran Khan's act got a tacit approval from Bilawal. Yet, the US does not seem to be serious in accepting his explanation. It is also unlikely to change its hardened stance towards Pakistan.

Meanwhile, in an interview to CNN, PTI Chairman Imran Khan, on May 23, demanded the dismissal of Donald Lu, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, for "bad manners and sheer arrogance" as he "threatened" Pakistan. Khan disclosed that the US diplomat had told Pakistan's ambassador that unless Imran Khan was removed in a vote of no-confidence, Pakistan would continue to suffer consequences.

Further, Imran Khan felt that Indian relations with Russia were good and that did not affect its existing ties with the US. So, Imran Khan has taken the US head on as he has nothing to lose. As per his estimate, such an anti-US stand would help him gain mileage in the domestic politics to deal with the opposition blueprint aiming at keeping him on the defensive and foiling his long march to spoil his electoral prospects. We, therefore, see foreign policy pitfalls playing a defining role in the internal politics of Pakistan. And, with a novice foreign office head, things are going astray with international players taking complete advantage of the vulnerable foreign policy

In a related development, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was in China recently on his maiden visit to the country, with an aim to strengthen bilateral and economic ties. The foreign minister's two-day trip (May 21-22) was his first bilateral visit abroad since assuming office last month. The visit coincided with the 71st anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties between Pakistan and China. Bilawal met Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi for in-depth discussion on bilateral relations. The two leaders reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations, with a particular focus on stronger trade and economic cooperation and industrialisation between the two countries. Fast-track progress on the transformational China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the flagship project Belt and Road Initiative also featured in the discussions. The two sides carried out a wide-ranging exchange of views on key regional and international issues.

With such high frequency meetings between Pakistan and Chinese foreign ministers, it is evident that Pakistan's old script of relying on China for the last over seven decades still remains. Other than CPEC, there does not seem to be any other tangible agenda in the Sino-Pak relations. The same old `drag' in the Pakistan foreign policy continues. This time, according to insiders, Pakistan tried to use its diplomatic `best' to extract some economic package from China to bail itself out of the financial downslide it is facing. In this context, it would be pertinent to state that new leaders of Pakistan have been seeking help from Saudi Arabia, UAE, the US and the IMF for a financial salvage. The foreign policy in such situations plays a crucial role but, in the absence of a well-structured and clearly defined strategy, the challenge seems insurmountable, at least in the near future. On the top of this, with poor foreign relations with neighbors like Afghanistan and India, things seem to be in rough weather for Pakistan. More critically, the confrontatnist happenings within the country have further made the implementation of foreign policy more difficult. Unless this important segment of the government gets some meaningful and steady direction, it would go adrift with no signs of any amelioration. Balancing good ties with the US without antagonising China, is not an easy job.

The writer is a retired IPS officer, a security analyst and a former National Security Advisor to the PM of Mauritius. Views expressed are personal