Pakistan has achieved yet another outstanding feat. After receiving worldwide applause for meeting international climate change goals a decade earlier, Pakistan’s efforts against the novel coronavirus have now received international praise by WHO and the UN, stating that the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme was an intelligent initiative to overcome the effects of the pandemic.
Now, it seems that authorities are taking yet another major step by aiming for “long-term, multi-dimensional” partnership with Russia, after Thursday invitation by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov for visiting Pakistan was “gladly accepted”. If such a relationship is achieved, Pakistan will not only strengthen its international image, but will also be able to use this relationship for strategic purposes against other allies such as the US and China. Apart from that, Pakistan could significantly increase its defence capability through Russian machinery and foster a much-needed trade relationship which would not only have a long-term military benefits but also help aid the ailing economy.
The Foreign Office should not shy away from such an opportunity, something past governments have done due to political pressure from other countries, and instead move forward with their heads held high. The trick towards deconstructing such relations is understanding the fact that the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Ghazanfar Farooq
Islamabad
Published in The Express Tribune, September 12th, 2020.
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