PAKISTAN's FOREIGN POLICY 1947-2009 a Concise History
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PAKISTAN'S FOREIGN POLICY 1947-2009 A Concise History ABDUL SATTAR Reproduced by Sani H. Panhwar P A KISTA N 'S FO REIGN P O L ICY 1 9 4 7 -2 0 0 9 A Concise H istory A bdulSattar Fo re w o rd b y A g h a S h a h i Reproduced by SaniH .Panhw ar Contents Foreword .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 Preface .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 1. The Emergence of Pakistan .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 Historical Background .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 2. Foreign Policy— Beginnings .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 11 The Founding Father's Vision .. .. .. .. .. .. 12 Enduring Relevance of Principles .. .. .. .. .. 14 The Shadow of Partition .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 16 The Muslim World .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 18 3. The Kashmir Question, 1947-57 .. .. .. .. .. .. 21 The Dispute .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 21 At the United Nations .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 25 The Dispute Festers .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 28 4. Search for Security .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 31 USSR .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 31 Approaches to the USA .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 33 Korean War .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 36 Japan .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 36 China .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 37 5. Alliances .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 38 Four Alliances .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 42 6. Alliances— Costs and Benefits .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 49 Costs of the Alliances .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 49 US Alliance Strengthened .. .. .. .. .. .. 52 Benefits of the Alliances .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 52 Swings of Opinion in the USA and Pakistan .. .. .. .. 55 7. Relations with China and Other Developments .. .. .. .. 61 China .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 61 Pakistan-China Boundary Agreement, 1962 .. .. .. .. 63 Sino- Pakistan Entente .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 64 Oman: Gwadar Retrocession .. .. .. .. .. .. 65 Indus Waters Treaty, 1960 .. .. .. .. .. .. 65 India-China Border War, 1962 .. .. .. .. .. .. 67 Pakistan-US Relations Corroded .. .. .. .. .. 69 Negotiations on Kashmir, 1962-63 .. .. .. .. .. 70 Changing Strategic Environment .. .. .. .. .. 72 Alliance under Strain .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 74 Ayub Khan's Visits to China and the USSR .. .. .. .. 75 Second Afro-Asian Summit .. .. .. .. .. .. 76 US Reaction .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 76 RCD and IPECC .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 77 8. The Pakistan-India War, 1965 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 78 Clash in Kutch .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 81 Operation Gibraltar .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 83 Escalation to War .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 83 Stance of Foreign Powers .. .. .. .. .. .. 85 The Tashkent Declaration .. .. .. .. .. .. 88 Bilateralism .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 92 9. Bitter Legacy of War, 1965-71 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 93 Organization of the Islamic Conference .. .. .. .. 97 10. 1971 Disaster .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 98 Bhutto's New Policy, 1971-73 .. .. .. .. .. .. 106 11. Shimla Agreement: Negotiating under Duress .. .. .. .. 108 Opening Gambit .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 110 Principles of Relations .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 111 Withdrawal from Occupied Territory .. .. .. .. .. 113 Jammu and Kashmir .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 113 Denouement .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 115 Assessment .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 117 Secret Understanding? .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 121 Normalization with Bangladesh .. .. .. .. .. .. 123 12. The Nuclear Programme and Relations with the USA .. .. .. 125 13. The Afghanistan Crisis .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 134 Revival of the US Alliance .. .. .. .. .. .. 138 Geneva Accords .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 140 14. Kashmir: The Struggle for Azadi .. .. .. .. .. .. 147 15. The Afghanistan Civil War, 1990-1998 .. .. .. .. .. 155 The Rise of the Taliban .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 156 Proxy War .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 159 Fatal Blunders .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 160 Retrospect .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 160 16. Pakistan-India Disputes and Crises .. .. .. .. .. .. 163 Sir Creek .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 163 Siachen: A Dispute within a Dispute .. .. .. .. .. 163 Salal, Wullar, Baglihar, and Kishenganga Projects .. .. .. 165 Consular Missions .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 166 Indian Plan for Attack on Kahuta, 1984 .. .. .. .. .. 167 The Brasstacks Crisis, 1986-87 .. .. .. .. .. .. 168 Re-entry to the Commonwealth .. .. .. .. .. .. 169 War Averted, 1990 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 170 Disarmament Issues .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 170 17. Nuclear Tests .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 174 Nuclear Restraints .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 177 Impact on Security .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 178 Issues and Non-Issues .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 180 Ballistic Missiles: The Threat of Destabilization .. .. .. 192 18. Increasing Isolation, 1990-2001 .. .. .. .. .. .. 195 US Sanctions Again .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 195 Support for the Taliban .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 196 Declining Prestige .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 197 Nuclear Tests .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 198 Pakistan-India Dialogue, 1997-99 .. .. .. .. .. 198 The Kargil Crisis, 1999 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 199 Coping with Isolation .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 203 The Agra Summit .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 204 19. Post-9/11 Policy .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 207 Policy Planning by Pakistan .. .. .. .. .. .. 207 US Policy .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 209 Consultation with Opinion Leaders .. .. .. .. .. 211 Economic Cooperation and Assistance .. .. .. .. .. 212 New Afghanistan .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 216 20. Pakistan-US Strategic Partnership .. .. .. .. .. .. 220 Divergence between Pakistan and USA .. .. .. .. 222 21. Terrorism .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 228 Islam Targeted .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 230 The Need for a Comprehensive Strategy .. .. .. .. 236 22. Pakistan-India Relations, 2001-09 .. .. .. .. .. .. 239 Retrospect .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 239 23. The UN and Other Organizations .. .. .. .. .. .. 249 Human Rights .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 254 International Financial Institutions (IFIs) .. .. .. .. 256 Regional Cooperation .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 259 SAARC-South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation .. .. 260 24. Policy in a Changing World .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 266 International Politics .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 266 Global Power Hierarchy .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 268 Appraisal of Pakistan's Foreign Policy .. .. .. .. .. 269 A ppen dices I. The Shimla Agreement, 1972 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 273 II. Composite Dialogue, 1997-98 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 285 III. The Lahore Declaration, 21 February 1999 .. .. .. .. .. 287 IV. The Agra Declaration, 2001 Draft Agreement .. .. .. .. 290 Foreword Gaining independence by the exercise of the principle of self-determination, the nascent state of Pakistan wished, as its founding father repeatedly said, to build friendly and cooperative relations with its neighbors. Idealistic in inspiration, the states foreign policy had soon to come to grips, however, with the reality of the challenge to its right to peaceful coexistence. The failure of its own efforts and those of the United Nations for the settlement of disputes in the wake of Partition, in conformity with the principles of international law and justice, illustrated the tyranny of power disparity in the region. In order to ameliorate the situation, Pakistan did what many other states in a similar predicament had done and began to look outwards for friends and allies to support its own efforts to safeguard the independence, strengthen the security and build the economic sinews of the infant state. Resistance to hegemony in the regional context complemented Pakistan's policy of opposition to the Soviet policy of expansionism and subversion, although Pakistan was not motivated by Cold War or ideological considerations, as illustrated by its policy to develop friendly cooperation with the Peoples Republic of China, disregarding the objections and sanctions by its partners in military alliances led by the United States of America. The failure of the allies to conic to Pakistan's assistance and the powerlessness of the United Nations to restrain India from intervention and aggression in East Pakistan in 1971, convinced Pakistan's leaders of the need to develop nuclear capability for the purpose of deterrence— an aim the Pakistani leadership pursued with single- mindedness in the face of discriminatory sanctions and pressures, the nation willingly bearing the burdens and sacrifices resulting from the cutoff of foreign assistance. Through diligent research Ambassador Abdul Sattar has recapitulated the rationale of these and other major policy decisions, including that of opposition to Soviet intervention in Afghanistan in 1979, in order to write what he calls 'a plain history'. He has delineated the objective strategic considerations on the basis of which the government and its leaders made fateful decisions. He draws also on personal knowledge as an official in the ministry of foreign affairs in the 1980s when the Geneva Accords were negotiated for the withdrawal of the Soviet forces from Afghanistan, and as foreign minister when Pakistan decided on a policy reappraisal in the wake of 9/11. The scholarly work he has produced accomplishes his laudable purpose of writing an objective history of Pakistan's policy. The book provides an authoritative account for students of foreign policy, observers and analysts to understand the past and benefit from its lessons in formulating effective strategies for the realization of the aims and Pakistan's Foreign Policy 1947-2009, Copyright © www.sanipanhwar.com 1 objectives of the state: to strengthen security and accelerate economic and social progress to achieve a position of dignity and self-respect in the comity of nations. I commend Pakistan's Foreign Policy to students and scholars at home and abroad, as well as to members of the security and foreign policy establishment in Pakistan, as it will facilitate a deeper understanding of the strategic compulsions that have driven decision-making