The greatest foreign policy challenge for Mr Sharif would be Afghanistan. PHOTO: AFP
Nawaz Sharif’s position on India is well known and he has reiterated it time and again. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s invitation to him to visit India is significant, as is the reciprocal invitation by the prime minister-elect to Mr Singh for his oath-taking ceremony. But the dialogue process between the two countries is likely to be fraught with the known roadblocks: Pakistan’s insistence on the core issues and India’s emphasis on terrorism. Having said this, Mr Sharif finds himself in a historic position to consolidate the gains made by the outgoing government with respect to trade and visa liberalisation.
With regard to the US, the PML-N manifesto emphasises Pakistani sovereignty and national interest when it comes to ties with the superpower. The PML-N is on record to have opposed the drones. Thus, its hardest task will be handling the drone debate, and developing a clear, honest line on the issue. The Nato troops pullout from Afghanistan in 2014 will place Pakistan in a tight corner. This would be a consummate test of Mr Sharif’s leadership skills. While he has indicated close but reoriented ties with the US, it is hard to see how things can improve given our dependence on US aid.
The greatest foreign policy challenge for Mr Sharif would be Afghanistan. Despite President Hamid Karzai’s welcoming statement at the PML-N victory, tensions are likely to exist as US troops pull out and the Taliban gain momentum, particularly with help from groups operating in Pakistan’s border territories. It must be mentioned that the PML-N’s foreign policy is likely to be intertwined with domestic policy on dealing with extremism and the impunity with which militant groups allegedly operate inside Pakistan. There was never a greater need for effective linkages between the two, especially with regard to Afghanistan. Mr Sharif’s ascension to power comes at the right moment.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 15th, 2013.
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Consolidating gains in trade and visa liberalization assumes hat the unilateral giveaways from India will continue endlessly. Sorry, India has made a lot of unilateral gestures. It is now time for Pakistan to reciprocate.
No Indian even the most hard line Indian wants a war. However, the patience for a policy of unilateral giveaways and constant appeasement in order to temporarily reduce support to terrorism on Indian soil is wearing really thin in India.
Nawaz Sharif may seek peace but until he can demonstrate control over the countries army and bring to justice the perp eaters of 26/11, no one will trust that another Pakistani will not pull another Kargill or 26/11 covertly or overtly.
As for sovereignty, Pakistan needs to review the fed ignition of sovereignty. Taliban control of Khurram agency villages which led to death of 64 civilians is. Someow not considered a loss of sovereignty. Moreover, you cannot expect to receive billions of dollars of fee arms to needle India and yet expect sovereignty. Give up your addiction to freebies, live within your means, establish control over your own land and then the world will take you seriously when ou all about sovereignty.
"With regard to the US, the PML-N manifesto emphasises Pakistani sovereignty and national interest when it comes to ties with the superpower." It hardly matters to the US directly and the world indirectly what any local manifesto says. Your previous government also made lot of hullabaloo abot drones. To what effect? You can talk all you want about Pakistani sovereignty. As long as you are not able to exercise that sovereignty, all the talk about it means diddly nothing. So, the first and foremost effort by the new government should be to quietly proceed to establish sovereignty over your lawless lands. If you do that, the drone issue will just disappear by itself. If you behave like a responsible state of the world community, your problems will wither away with the help of those that are convinced you are making sincere efforts.
The Editorial implies that the Civilian govt controls foreign policy - I suspect the Editor knows otherwise - surely the Indian's, Afghan's and American's do.