Determinets Foreign Policy Part 1

1. Introduction
2. Determinants of Pakistan’s foreign policy
3. Ideological obligation
4. Historical legacy
5. Geographical location
6. The Indian threat
7. Economic compulsions

The foreign policy of a country reflects the behavior pattern of a nation based on its collective wisdom in dealing with other nations. It can neither be based permanently on the wishful thinking of an individual, nor on the idealism of a group. The national goals, more or less, at external ends, as collected carefully through records of the nations, remain consistent although they may be inharmonious internally with the man and the groups in power from time to time. A multitude of factors contribute to the making of an outlook in dealings with nations of the world abroad. Friends and foes, as with individuals, are determined by the history and the geography of a nation. No country, whatever its economic potential, can remain isolated from the outside world any longer.

The foreign policy of a nation compared to its internal policy is much more important and significant, as any change in the latter may not have any dire consequences whereas a change in the former may have. The foreign policy in other words, greatly services the national interests while policies in other areas may cater to individual or special interests of a group or individual. Similarly, the handling of the external policy needs persons more adept in their execution than those in other policy areas. A successful foreign policy fills the gap where physical strength is wanting. Thus it is not an easy task to frame the foreign policy of a country. A number of factors have to be kept in view in this regard. The following five factors are discernible in the formulation of Pakistan’s foreign policy.

(i)Ideological Obligation (ii)Historical Legacy (iii)Geographical Location (iv)The Indian Threat (v)Economic Compulsions.

Ideological Obligation: Islamic ideology is a very important factor in the determination of Pakistan’s foreign policy. Pakistan calls itself a Muslim country for two reasons; firstly, more than 85 per cent of the population adheres to Islam. Secondly, Pakistan was created to meet the irresistible urge of Muslims of the subcontinent to have a homeland of their own where they could preserve in safety and tranquility their religion, culture and way of life and where they could live in peace and prosperity. The late Prime Minister of Pakistan Liaquat Ali Khan once said: ‘’ The underlying idea of the movement for the achievement of Pakistan was not just to add one more country to the conglomeration of countries in the world or to add one more patch of colour to the multi-coloured global map. Pakistan came into being as a result of the urge felt by the Muslims of this subcontinent to secure a territory, however limited, where the Islamic ideology and way of life could be practiced and demonstrated to the world. A cordial feature of this ideology is to make Muslim brotherhood a living reality, It is, therefore, part of the mission which Pakistan has set before itself to do every thing in its power to promote closer fellowship and cooperation between Muslim countries.’’

It should be noted that pro-Islamic tendencies formed the basic part of the thinking of the leaders struggling for Pakistan. The Muslim leadership championing the cause of the Mailman’s of India spoke also for the grievances of the Muslims all over the world. The world events affecting the Muslim fraternity came regularly under consideration in the formal gatherings of the Muslims. The Russo-Turkish war (1877), The Anglo-Afghan war (1878), the Greco-Turkish war (1897), the Italian invasion of Libya (1911) and the Balkan war (1912), formed part of the annual resolutions of the Muslim political gatherings that had been held during this period, Dr. M.A. Ansari was deputed under the same spirit to lead a medical mission in the Balkan war in support of the Turks. Similarly, the Muslim League session at Calcutta in 1912 condemned the Russian encroachment on the Iranian territory. The Khilafat agitation after World War I in support of the Turks is one of the landmarks in the Indian Muslims’ struggle against the British.

The Agha Khan led a mission to London in 1921 for the restoration of Khilafat and as a protest against the British damaging the Islamic unity in the Turku-Arab world. The Muslim League in its annual session at Aligarh in 1925 condemned the British action in Iraq. The fall of the King of Afghanistan in 1929 was lamented that year and Nadir Khans achievements in Afghanistan were hailed in 1933 Howrah session. The West’s move in 1933 to hand over Palestine to the Jews and the wartime division of Iran in 1941 were strongly c

The Muslim League in its 1943 Karachi session asked the Allied Powers to give freedom to Libya, then liberated from Italian control and to set Morocco, Algeria and Tunis free from the clutches of France.

On June 6, 1946, while speaking at a meeting of the All-India Muslim League Council, Quaid-i-Azam warned the West against the consequences of assigning Palestine to the Jews and condemned the Dutch imperialist hold on Indonesia.A nation so imbued with affection for its brethren in faith, all along its struggle for a homeland, could not ignore this interest on achieving a state. “With the birth of Pakistan the hope of Pan-Islamic Unity and brotherhood brightened afresh amongst the Islamic states of Asia.In fact, from the very beginning Pakistan made concerted efforts to come closer to the Muslim countries of the world, and to form a union of the Islamic nations. This policy has been consistently pursued by its policymakers to this day and is likely to be pursued in future.

Both India and Pakistan, were successors to an administration which carried certain defense objectives in the area. The subcontinent had been the haunt of foreign invaders from the north since times immemorial. The Russian expansion in the northwest of India and the Chinese presence in the northeast urged the British authorities in the subcontinent to devise a mechanism assuring safety against the northern threats. The British northern command at Rawalpindi, the Quetta Staff Training College, the extension of Indian railway line to Chaman and Landikotal, the creation of the militia force in the tribal belt in the north-west and the establishment of a powerful intelligence arid surveillance station at Peshawar are but a few instances in this regard. This threat perception, as of natural consequence, was inherited by both the successive states after the partition of India in 1947. The Russian advances southward during the last century had aroused international concern the world over and the new state of Pakistan could not shut its eyes to it. Pakistan inherited from the British files of the India Office the fear of Russia like that of China by India. The decision makers of Pakistan’s foreign policy always sought western assistance to stem the Russian advance towards their territory, though at present there is an interregnum period in this threat perception.

Geography controls political environment of a country and the prize of modern international politics is the earth. The term may also be used to describe political geography considered in terms of the structure of the world and its component states, or to refer to those aspects of foreign policy planning that must take into account various geographical factors such as location, size, shape, climate and topography. Geopolitics, therefore, involves varying degrees of historical determinism based on geography and it also affects the country’s foreign policy and her national interests. Napoleon aptly said about 175 years ago that the foreign policy of a country is determined by its geography—the political significance of an area bears a well defined relation to its climate, land-forms and natural resources.” Ideologies can change, socio-political systems can change, but a state must retain a territorial personality. The security of a state depends largely on a vigilant policy towards its neighbors which postulates a sound frontier policy, it was Lord Curzon, shortly after ceasing to be Viceroy of India who said “Frontiers are indeed the razor’s edge on which hang suspended modern issues of war or peace, of life or death to nations.”When we look at Pakistan’s location, the first thing which strikes us is accuracy of the statement that the foreign policy of Pakistan largely begins and ends at her borders, more particularly at the Indian border. It is not just a coincidence that Pakistan’s most troublesome international problems concern its relations with India.

A cursory look at the map of Pakistan indicates that roughly half of Pakistan’s land frontiers meet with India, about One-third with Afghanistan, approximately One-sixth with Iran and a very small strip with China. Russia is also very close to it through her former republic of Ta1ikistan. To the south of Pakistan lies the Arabian Sea and the gateway both to the Persian Gulf and Ike Gulf of Aden which links the Arabian Sea with the Mediterranean via Red Sea and the Suez Canal, the main trade route between Europe and Asia. This geographical setting has a direct bearing on Pakistan’s foreign policy in more than one way. Half of its land borders which meet with India have been dominated by the fear of Indian aggression. Pakistan joined the defense pacts with the United States in the past largely to protect her frontiers against possible aggression from India.