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The Art of Effective & Strategic Diplomacy
By | Anees, Hafiz
By definition, Diplomacy is the art of conducting effective negotiations between representatives of different nations regarding issues like peace-making in conflict zones, mutual trade, war, economics, environment, human rights and International treaties etc. Informally, diplomacy means effective employment of tactics to achieve strategic advantages or to find mutually acceptable solutions to a common challenge. Here the Subject in discussion is where we are as a Pakistani nation in terms of effective international diplomacy, what we have achieved and what can be done in coming future for gaining best results in the greater interest of our nation.
Since creation of Pakistan was at a time when world was divided in to capitalist and socialist blocks and we have got tremendous challenges as a new born state (financially, economically and militarily), it was a huge challenge to adopt a balanced diplomacy while keeping our national stance on Kashmir problem. We got traditional enemy India in the east, hostile Afghanistan in the west that voted against Pakistan at UN. Both of these countries were in Socialist blocks and we had to manage this triangle. Close diplomatic ties with West did provide some benefits on partial basis but main objective we achieved is the commissioning of nuclear program, mobilizing OIC and keeping Kashmir issue alive along with military self reliance efforts.
The threat from east is very well managed by keeping minimum level of deterrence, but India is using Afghanistan as a base camp to launch terror attacks in Pakistan. So it is diplomatically challenging how to keep Afghanistan neutralize and not hostile. It is very important to analyze Afghan population racially and see what is best to convert it into friendly nation. Eastern Afghanistan is Pashtun and are well in line with our Pashtun population, but we need to pay attention to other races living in Afghanistan like Tajek, Uzbeks, Turkmans and Kyrghyzs. Of course their native nations Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan should have some influence on these races so we must engage with Central Asian states in order to get their support to neutralize 40% of non Pashtun Afghans. This is the huge diplomatic challenge we have to overcome.
Pakistan should encourage fellow Pakistani business men investing in Afghanistan by means of building highways and infrastructure to get further influence in order to keep Afghan people towards its side. We should effectively maneuver land locked condition of Afghanistan for benefits of both countries to avoid any further hostility. Effective diplomacy can be done only by employing professional diplomats among our missions around the globe who have strong inter personal skills, knowledge of worlds politics and what is in Pakistan’s best interest and work hard for achieving those long term objectives.
It is very important to elaborate how others see Pakistan as a country like what image we have as a nation, what is our people’s attitude and behavior, what is our educational level, economic condition, military and strategic strength/power etc. So laying out some key areas below where we can help the world and some areas where we need to put more focus in order to get better results along with adopting aggressive and meaningful diplomacy.
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About Author: Hafiz Anees is regularly contributing articles in Defence Journal since 2005. He is member of board of directors at Daily Leader Lahore.
By | Anees, Hafiz
By definition, Diplomacy is the art of conducting effective negotiations between representatives of different nations regarding issues like peace-making in conflict zones, mutual trade, war, economics, environment, human rights and International treaties etc. Informally, diplomacy means effective employment of tactics to achieve strategic advantages or to find mutually acceptable solutions to a common challenge. Here the Subject in discussion is where we are as a Pakistani nation in terms of effective international diplomacy, what we have achieved and what can be done in coming future for gaining best results in the greater interest of our nation.
Since creation of Pakistan was at a time when world was divided in to capitalist and socialist blocks and we have got tremendous challenges as a new born state (financially, economically and militarily), it was a huge challenge to adopt a balanced diplomacy while keeping our national stance on Kashmir problem. We got traditional enemy India in the east, hostile Afghanistan in the west that voted against Pakistan at UN. Both of these countries were in Socialist blocks and we had to manage this triangle. Close diplomatic ties with West did provide some benefits on partial basis but main objective we achieved is the commissioning of nuclear program, mobilizing OIC and keeping Kashmir issue alive along with military self reliance efforts.
The threat from east is very well managed by keeping minimum level of deterrence, but India is using Afghanistan as a base camp to launch terror attacks in Pakistan. So it is diplomatically challenging how to keep Afghanistan neutralize and not hostile. It is very important to analyze Afghan population racially and see what is best to convert it into friendly nation. Eastern Afghanistan is Pashtun and are well in line with our Pashtun population, but we need to pay attention to other races living in Afghanistan like Tajek, Uzbeks, Turkmans and Kyrghyzs. Of course their native nations Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan should have some influence on these races so we must engage with Central Asian states in order to get their support to neutralize 40% of non Pashtun Afghans. This is the huge diplomatic challenge we have to overcome.
Pakistan should encourage fellow Pakistani business men investing in Afghanistan by means of building highways and infrastructure to get further influence in order to keep Afghan people towards its side. We should effectively maneuver land locked condition of Afghanistan for benefits of both countries to avoid any further hostility. Effective diplomacy can be done only by employing professional diplomats among our missions around the globe who have strong inter personal skills, knowledge of worlds politics and what is in Pakistan’s best interest and work hard for achieving those long term objectives.
It is very important to elaborate how others see Pakistan as a country like what image we have as a nation, what is our people’s attitude and behavior, what is our educational level, economic condition, military and strategic strength/power etc. So laying out some key areas below where we can help the world and some areas where we need to put more focus in order to get better results along with adopting aggressive and meaningful diplomacy.
- Supporting other countries for overcoming terrorism leveraging Zarb e Azb results and selling defense hardware to friendly countries.
- Tourism industry development and elaboration to the world through our diplomatic missions for our national image building and revenue generation.
- Improving economic condition and decreasing inflation rates, it is must to increase currency value, taking Turkey’s example as a model.
- Control our NADRA issued cards and passports strictly so that others couldn't use our passports for bad or rouge reasons that will impact Pakistan's image. People living outside Pakistan must be coached for best behavior living abroad and our diplomatic missions can play a key role.
- Increase education level as quickly as possible and target some Pakistani Universities to be among best Universities in world ranking so that others could come to Pakistan for education. This should be a key challenge for our missions abroad.
- Building image as a nation, we did best overcoming terrorism and need to evolve sacrifices during war on terror in international media so need to Work on local media and international media where our diplomats must elaborate this great success proactively.
- Pakistan is a nuclear power so we must show mussels by all means. We must adopt little bit of bossy attitude if situation arrives and forget lousy and apologetic attitude. See as an example how Pakistani HC in Delhi dealt with Indian foreign office recently on false border crossing allegations.
- Pakistan is respecting UN resolutions more than anyone else doing in the world so we need to adopt proactive approach on issues where we have strong legal and moral stance like Kashmir. We always need sharp and effective diplomats at UN level who can handle such challenge.
- Actively participate in 34 nation’s Saudi led coalition and use this platform as selling military equipment, bilateral relations for trade, visa on arrival agreements, military training etc. Our embassies in these countries can do lot. We must be proactive using this platform, diplomatically. Moreover, this platform can also be used to initiate an initial Islamic naval alliance who can be led by Pakistan for ensuring our key choke points like Strait of Hormoz, Bab al-mandab and red sea Suez Canal. I already wrote an article in Feb 2006 defence journal regarding such naval alliance. Our diplomats in these 34 countries must be proactive for such strategic movements in order to get strategic and critical gains.
- CPEC is moving well and it is great achievement in terms of our diplomacy so take it to next level and involve central Asia and Russia in this project for reaching out warm waters. Approach all countries and elaborate that CPEC can be used by all continents since trading with china is in the interest of whole world. If rest of the world from western side trades through CPEC with China, it will be enormous economic change for Pakistan and Just imagine how busy CPEC will be in terms of economic activities that will change Pakistan in all fronts so we must bring this fact up front to the whole world. This is duty of our missions to elaborate to them for gaining bigger objectives. We cannot afford any mistake for CPEC elaboration throughout the world. This is our life line and future of Pakistan. Our diplomatic missions must be working right now for spreading brilliant outcomes CPEC will bring to the region and to the world. Our diplomats in these said countries should start interacting with their hosts (central Asia, Russia, China) for facilitation during this great project execution. Further more, stretching CPEC to Iran, Turkey and Russia will increase its importance in all terms.
- The Iranian port Chahbahar can be linked to CPEC that will allow Iranian trade access to China and thus we may able to decrease Indian influence. This link will be an additional gesture other than Pakistan Iran gas pipeline which is under progress. We came to know that Turkey showed interest in CPEC so this can be stretched to Bosporus. Mainly CPEC can be benefited by two groups of countries. One group who may be interested in gaining access to China market via easy land route. Other group may be who want easy access to Arabian Sea. So CPEC is an easy solution in both cases. This requires complex and tricky diplomacy. Point to be noted that effective diplomacy can only be really effective if our image as a Pakistani nation is bright and positive. So it is equally important to focus on some neglected areas as follow.
- Appoint capable and professional immigrant officers at each entry point. Please it is worth to note that a country’s image building starts from its entry points how professional immigration system looks like. Lousy and careless immigration personals will leave bad and negative image on entry points. This must be managed properly.
- Education, health & traffic system in order are key factors for nation building. These areas need attention.
- Strengthen NADRA as institution; create effective passport control policy along with strict visa regulations.
- Appoint capable and aggressive diplomats for pursuing our legal stance on Kashmir, economic and trade interests along with image building measures. We can leverage Pakistanis from abroad to indulge their foreign exposure to national building measures.
- Work out around nations how we can get green passport more respectful. Convince more visa free entry countries on Pakistan passports. Or at least our educated people can get visa free entry to more countries. Work it out with Russia, China, Turkey, EU and many other Arab and ASEAN nations. We may offer military, trade, tourism, and other services in return with benefits.
- Adopt tit for tat policy. How others deal with our diplomats, we should do same and it even may apply for social and diplomatic functions.
- Remove/resolve hurdles within ourselves noticed by other countries and be beneficial for others in order to become effective for bilateral relations. Just an example, restoring our cricket grounds by inviting other countries to come to Pakistan and we will provide safety and protection. This can be achieved if our diplomatic missions play facilitation role along with our cricket board. This also implies to our tourism industry that was impacted by a terrible incidence in our mountain areas few years ago. This doesn’t mean we compromise our stance and interests.
- Bottom line is that lousy and apologetic diplomacy cannot work in this challenging world especially when we have unstable Afghanistan in the west in addition to NATO presence and traditional enemy India in the east. Both haven’t recognized Pakistan as a sovereign nation with true spirit. Afghanistan didn’t accept Pakistan on its independence and voted against it at UN and India dreaming for Akhand Bharat. Dealing Afghanistan by engaging central Asian states, Economic leverage being land locked country and investing In Afghanistan for infrastructure building. India, however, deserves a little bit of gunboat diplomacy.
[email protected]
About Author: Hafiz Anees is regularly contributing articles in Defence Journal since 2005. He is member of board of directors at Daily Leader Lahore.
