As a former diplomat, the following questions often come to my mind. Is Pakistan’s foreign policy in the right direction or in need of course correction? What are our fundamental challenges and whether or not we are sufficiently equipped to handle them in all their dimensions? Is Pakistan too idealistic or hidebound realistic? Does Pakistan have long-term foreign policy objectives in sync with its well-defined national interests or it is more into tactical improvisation, conveniently setting aside long-term strategic compulsions for short-term dividends?

These questions have no easy answers. To begin with, even defining national interests is quite a painstaking undertaking. No wonder, Pakistan continues to be in a seemingly perpetual state of confusion about its engagement with the US and China. Similarly, from relations with India and Afghanistan to the issues of Kashmir and Palestine, Islamabad seems to have been swinging like a pendulum. In the process, it has itself undermined its credibility abroad. Pakistan is given short shrift even by some of its traditionally close partners. They see Islamabad now increasingly burdensome, asking for unending favors of all sorts but lacking overall capacity if not willingness to return.

Is Pakistan’s foreign policy in the right direction or in need of course correction?

Those in the business of diplomacy know fully well that when a country is not peaceful with itself, it must not expect to achieve sustainable positive results, let alone miracles abroad. Someone very righty stated that the first principle of an effective foreign policy is good government at home. What has been happening inside Pakistan for years now should be a matter of great concern for all those who care about this country of enormous potential. Pakistan is no doubt caught in a political, economic and security vicious circle and, ironically, nothing seems to be working to hope for betterment.

Take the recent episode of effecting a constitutional amendment towards bringing about judicial reforms. For two days and that, too, the weekend, the whole nation was subjected to an awful cliffhanger. We saw cabinet ministers running from pillar to post to muster support for the passage of a bill which was not even seen by anyone but a few insiders. Even the top politicians of mainstream parties were not privy to the details of the bill. And when the government failed to get the requisite numbers, it took a grotesque volte face insisting that how a bill could be tabled without first being approved by the cabinet.

Whether it was a Shakespearean tragedy or an Orwellian doublespeak, the whole exercise reflected terribly poorly on Pakistan. When the statecraft is left to amateurs with no inkling of government business, what else one can expect. More disappointingly, I do not see any serious collective desire to overhaul the system that is plagued to the benefit of the elite.

I am sorry for the digression but highlighting the above episode was necessary to put my arguments in perspective. It saddens me to say but the fact of the matter is that we are becoming increasingly casual in our statecraft where even diplomacy is not spared. For instance, why on earth would the government appoint Mr Ishaq Dar as foreign minister when he has least interest let alone experience in foreign policy matters? Now, as deputy prime minister as well, he is seen more in the business of fixing Pakistan’s economy and engaging in political wheeling-dealing rather than diplomacy. If the top diplomat of a country has no passion or time for the job he is entrusted with, how can one expect things to change for better?

Needless to emphasize that Pakistan can ill-afford to have a part-time foreign minister. So much is changing around the world and so fast that countries, especially like Pakistan, need to be on their toes to ensure that no gap is left or no wrong move is made to regret afterwards. Diplomacy is a process not an event. Pakistan is yet to absorb this reality and put in its best to achieve maximum results.

To begin with, Islamabad needs to revisit the drawing board to   comprehensively review its short to long-term foreign policy objectives encompassing geostrategic and geo-economic interests. While there is nothing in foreign policy that is etched in stone, some foreign policy issues are far more complex than others with little wiggle room. But even there gradually modulating nuances can yield positive results. Our relations with India are a case in point where Islamabad is seen to be mostly reactive. Thus, there is no clarity as to where Pakistan would like to see its relations with India in the foreseeable future. And whether or not the two countries can bury the hatchet without settling Kashmir. And if not, how to resolve this lingering dispute in a mutually palatable manner.

Diplomacy is a process not an event. Pakistan is yet to absorb this reality and put in its best to achieve maximum results.

There is also so much confusion on Afghanistan. Resultantly, we do not know if Kabul is a “brotherly” country or an unfriendly difficult neighbor. Similarly, how to nurture our traditionally warm relations with the Muslim world, especially the Gulf countries. What are the reasons Islamabad is losing ground in several capitals and how to arrest this downward trend.

Should Pakistan be making serious and sustained efforts to revive SAARC and inject élan into ECO? Are they worth the effort knowing the inherent limitations involved?  For instance, SAARC will remain ineffective so long as Pakistan-India relations do not normalize. As regards the ECO, it became irrelevant the day it decided to have its secretariat in Tehran. Therefore, will it make sense to focus more on augmenting bilateral relations and promoting workable sub-regional mechanisms rather than be interminably consumed by ineffective regional organizations?

What about Pakistan’s place in our evolving multipolar world. Is our strategic partnership with China nonnegotiable? If so, how to deal with the US which is building its own strategic relationship with India to counter China. What about other poles including the European Union and Russia. How much are they relevant to our geo-economic and geostrategic interests. How should we benefit from Japan, South Korea and the Southeast Asian countries in our economic development? How do prospects for our relations with South American and African countries look and to what ends?

Indeed, there are many other areas and issues which would require to be deliberated upon to come up with solid policy recommendations. What I am trying to suggest is that Islamabad needs to be absolutely clear about its policy objectives and fully aware of interlinkages. There is nothing that works in isolation. CPEC comes to mind which is openly opposed by the US and India. In fact, the latter is actively trying to sabotage it by way of destabilizing Balochistan and, as some would argue, with US blessings. In short, Pakistan is up against serious internal and external challenges; more of the same would barely deliver.

Once our foreign policy objectives are well-defined, the next question will be how to realize them. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and its diplomatic outposts need urgent restructuring with the view to enhancing their capacity to deliver. Additionally, it is perhaps time to consider merging the Economic Affairs Division and the External Publicity Wing with MoFA. This should help promote our economic and diplomatic interests abroad through well-coordinated and focused economic and public diplomacy. Moreover, existing inter-ministerial mechanisms also need to be utilized to the fullest on every important policy issue so that all stakeholders are able to give their inputs and participate in consultations. Decisions reached through collective wisdom can still go wrong but there is no better alternative.

In short, it needs to be underlined that Pakistan is an important country. Its internal political unpredictability has not allowed it to earn its due place in the comity of nations. Have we as a nation come of age to patch up internally? This in my view is the crux of the matter. Political stability is the key to most of our internal and external challenges. A Japanese proverb says “Don’t fix the blame, fix the problem”. Can we make this an integral part of our national culture? This is doubtless a generational process but the primary onus is on our leaders to take initial steps in that direction.