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A major diplomatic triumph in the history of Pakistan is seldom observed. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s candid speech and the dramatic exit from the UN Security Council in the 1970s may have went down as Pakistan’s finest diplomatic moments of self-esteem and autonomy but is likely to get overshadowed by what PM Nawaz Sharif has accomplished at the UNGA just a few days ago. It is as if PM Sharif’s speech has caused major disturbance in the Indian press and political circles, the benefits of which the PM and his political team are realising as the reaction unfolds.
Never has PM Nawaz Sharif in his entire political life received more appreciation and approval across the party lines, nor has he ever silenced his critics in a more befitting manner. At a time when the PM faces domestic political pressure from the opposition, the UNGA speech has abruptly changed the discourse in the media. The net result is that the PM has not only won diplomatically on the global front against India, but for his own good won domestically on the political front.
Couple of things went into play to favour the PM. First, the recent mishandling of the protests in Kashmir by the Indian Army got a major coverage around the world through the digital and social media setting the stage for the PM right before the UNGA to strategically position Pakistan against India at the UN forum. The PM Sharif from 2013 or even 2014 would have perhaps ignored the Indian mess in Kashmir for the sake of establishing bilateral relations on ‘soft issues’ before discussing Kashmir but the PM Sharif in 2016 came down hard on the India. Partly driven by the lacklustre response of Modi’s Government to PM Sharif’s friendly overtures over the past few years, the PM saw very little to gain in friendship with India and a lot more to lose at the civil-military and political front for his bold stance on India.
Second, the civil-military in Pakistan were on the same page to manage the Kashmir issue and there was clarity of situation, concerted effort and defined objectives that allowed the Pakistan’s UN Mission to strategise an entire game plan to raise the Kashmir issue at the UNGA. Earlier in the years, the Kashmir issue had gone in the back burner for both the military government during the Musharraf era and the PPP government under President Zardari. Pakistan entangled in its own domestic security and economic problems had little to push on the Kashmir issue. With some level of economic and security stability returning to Pakistan, the Kashmir issue is taking the center stage again in Pakistan’s foreign and security policy discourse.
Third and the most crucial aspect of PM Sharif’s diplomatic triumph has been his ability to get the Turkish President, the Chinese President and the OIC to give apparent support to Pakistan’s cause on Kashmir. To top it all, the US State Department’s statement to remain neutral on the Balochistan issue gave more power to Pakistan by embarrassing the Indian Government that tried to unsuccessfully sabotage PM Sharif’s call for help on Kashmir by raising the Balochistan issue at the UNGA. Support from the friendly countries helped the PM look in control, well backed, and significant enough at the UNGA — an image that will define his perception in the years to come.
But all this comes with a particular cost. In what is being hailed as a highly successful diplomatic trip of the PM to the UNGA, there may be an unneeded realisation at the top of the circus on how demonstrating external strength at such forums can lead to high approval rates and political win domestically in the country. While General Musharraf mastered this art of politics, both the PPP and the PML-N had given up using anti-India rhetoric or the Kashmir issue to score domestic political points. However, with recent speeches of Bilawal Bhutto taking the Indian Government to task on Kashmir, and with PM Sharif’s strong stance on the Kashmir issue at the UNGA, it appears that Kashmir is going to remain alive in the politics of Pakistan. Especially, given how such issues can radically change the news headlines and eventually the media discourse, it could potentially provide a good distraction from Imran Khan’s dharna politics against the government.
While the eventual fate of Kashmir and its people remain unknown, PM Nawaz Sharif through his speech has secured his political and somewhat an electoral fate in the next elections.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 24th, 2016.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
Never has PM Nawaz Sharif in his entire political life received more appreciation and approval across the party lines, nor has he ever silenced his critics in a more befitting manner. At a time when the PM faces domestic political pressure from the opposition, the UNGA speech has abruptly changed the discourse in the media. The net result is that the PM has not only won diplomatically on the global front against India, but for his own good won domestically on the political front.
Couple of things went into play to favour the PM. First, the recent mishandling of the protests in Kashmir by the Indian Army got a major coverage around the world through the digital and social media setting the stage for the PM right before the UNGA to strategically position Pakistan against India at the UN forum. The PM Sharif from 2013 or even 2014 would have perhaps ignored the Indian mess in Kashmir for the sake of establishing bilateral relations on ‘soft issues’ before discussing Kashmir but the PM Sharif in 2016 came down hard on the India. Partly driven by the lacklustre response of Modi’s Government to PM Sharif’s friendly overtures over the past few years, the PM saw very little to gain in friendship with India and a lot more to lose at the civil-military and political front for his bold stance on India.
Second, the civil-military in Pakistan were on the same page to manage the Kashmir issue and there was clarity of situation, concerted effort and defined objectives that allowed the Pakistan’s UN Mission to strategise an entire game plan to raise the Kashmir issue at the UNGA. Earlier in the years, the Kashmir issue had gone in the back burner for both the military government during the Musharraf era and the PPP government under President Zardari. Pakistan entangled in its own domestic security and economic problems had little to push on the Kashmir issue. With some level of economic and security stability returning to Pakistan, the Kashmir issue is taking the center stage again in Pakistan’s foreign and security policy discourse.
Third and the most crucial aspect of PM Sharif’s diplomatic triumph has been his ability to get the Turkish President, the Chinese President and the OIC to give apparent support to Pakistan’s cause on Kashmir. To top it all, the US State Department’s statement to remain neutral on the Balochistan issue gave more power to Pakistan by embarrassing the Indian Government that tried to unsuccessfully sabotage PM Sharif’s call for help on Kashmir by raising the Balochistan issue at the UNGA. Support from the friendly countries helped the PM look in control, well backed, and significant enough at the UNGA — an image that will define his perception in the years to come.
But all this comes with a particular cost. In what is being hailed as a highly successful diplomatic trip of the PM to the UNGA, there may be an unneeded realisation at the top of the circus on how demonstrating external strength at such forums can lead to high approval rates and political win domestically in the country. While General Musharraf mastered this art of politics, both the PPP and the PML-N had given up using anti-India rhetoric or the Kashmir issue to score domestic political points. However, with recent speeches of Bilawal Bhutto taking the Indian Government to task on Kashmir, and with PM Sharif’s strong stance on the Kashmir issue at the UNGA, it appears that Kashmir is going to remain alive in the politics of Pakistan. Especially, given how such issues can radically change the news headlines and eventually the media discourse, it could potentially provide a good distraction from Imran Khan’s dharna politics against the government.
While the eventual fate of Kashmir and its people remain unknown, PM Nawaz Sharif through his speech has secured his political and somewhat an electoral fate in the next elections.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 24th, 2016.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
