The writer is Resident Editor, The Nation in Islamabad
ISLAMABAD – Sartaj Aziz, the advisor to the prime minister on foreign affairs, had an improbable task at hand when he met a select group of editors and talk show hosts at the ministry of foreign affairs Monday afternoon.
The criticism about the alleged failures and dysfunction in the country’s foreign policy and subsequent diplomatic isolation had reached a crescendo in recent weeks.
The absence of a full time foreign minister had also been used by critics as one of the major factors of the perceived failures at the diplomatic front.
Opposition politicians have constantly hammered this point, adding it to the cacophony of assertions that the government is operating on a de-facto basis.
Flanked by Senator Pervez Rashid, the information minister, Tariq Fatemi, special assistant to the prime minister on foreign affairs, Imran Gardezi and Aizaz Chaudhry, secretaries of information and foreign ministries respectively, Mr.Aziz, a seasoned economist, talked at length not only about of the challenges and direction of the country’s foreign policy but also of his own portfolio.The briefing suggested a new approach by the foreign and information ministries to allay domestic concerns and criticism.
Mr.Aziz said a succession of events in recent months has added to the perception woes of the government.“Unless you look at the bigger picture, you cannot comprehend individual events,” Mr.Aziz said.
The recent deterioration in relations with the United States happened primarily over the nuclear issue after the government conveyed to Washington that it cannot compromise on the nuclear program.The downward slide in relations with the United States was capitalised by archival India, Mr.Aziz said, as it engaged in an aggressive diplomatic effort to further sideline Pakistan.But despite Indian prime minister’s visits to the middle east and Iran, Mr.Aziz said Indian efforts to cause wedges with these countries won’t succeed.
Since 2011, United States is engaged in an effort to contain China, Mr.Aziz said. On the other hand, China and Russia are trying to develop Eurasia and Pakistan is now engaged in a balancing effort as it moves to make new alliances while maintaining its relationship with the United States, Mr.Aziz said.
The same balance has been maintained in relations with Saudi Arabia and Iran.
The biggest challenge, however, remains Afghanistan, Mr.Aziz acknowledged.“The peace process cannot give results in a few months,” he said.Taliban can continue fighting for the next several years and if Taliban are gaining grounds then they won’t come to the talks table.Mr.Aziz reiterated that Pakistan had a limited role over Taliban and the country was giving more focus on border management.
The de-facto foreign minister stressed that Kashmir cannot be put on the back burner and India will have to discuss this festering issue along with other issues.India is refusing to give up its narrative about terrorism emanating from Pakistan, he said.“They don’t want us to give us credit and want an excuse not to restart the dialogue,” Aziz said.
“They want normalisation on their own terms.They want hegemony and don’t want to discuss Kashmir.It is unacceptable for us,” he said.
A piercing question hanging over the briefing was about the roles of the security establishment and the civilian government over foreign policy formulation.
Mr.Aziz said the military had ruled the country for a much longer stretch than the civilians and therefore had greater capacity.However, he tried to dispel the impression that the civilians were simply kowtowing the talking points given by the military.
Mr.Aziz said the June 7 meeting at the General Headquarters between the civilian ministers and top military officials was his initiative. The government had received a lot of flak over the meeting, especially in the wake of subsequent press pictures that showed civilians sitting glumly with downcast eyes.The optics played straight into the common perceptions about a shambolic and weak civilian side and a dominant and assertive military.Mr.Aziz, however, took an exception to this perception and said that the increased frequency of civilian meetings with the top military brass in the last three years was actually reflective of an effort by the government to achieve harmony and closer coordination.
“Our emphasis is that our threat perceptions, priorities and intentions should be harmonious.I think we have a lot of harmony in our foreign security policy,” Aziz said.
“We have achieved a lot of convergence.”
Overall, Mr.Aziz presented a lucid and spirited defence of the civilian government’s position but— as often has been the case —fighting negative perceptions can be a Sisyphean task in Pakistan.http://nation.com.pk/national/28-Jun-2016/sartaj-launches-charm-offensive-to-counter-negative-perceptions
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