Foreign Policy Of Pakistan

The Foreign Policy of Pakistan strives for the promotion of peace and security at the
regional and global levels. It also aims at accelerating the country's socio-economic
progress.

In keeping with its international obligations and in conformity with the United Nations
Charter, Pakistan consistently seeks friendship and cooperation in its foreign relations on
the basis of sovereign equality, mutual respect and benefit, non-interference and
peaceful settlement of disputes.

Pakistan 's foreign policy is guided by its history, geographical location and the aspiration
of its people. It is also responsive to regional and international imperatives. Given the
persistent challenges, Pakistan has opted for a proactive foreign policy. While there are
elements of continuity in the foreign policy, as they should be, there is also a change of
emphasis and nuance.
the key objectives of Pakistan 's Foreign Policy are to:

(a) Develop friendly relations with all countries particularly the Muslim world, major
powers and immediate neighbours;

(b) Safeguard vital security and geo-strategic interests of Pakistan ;

(c) Resolve the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the resolutions
of the UN Security Council and wishes of the Kashmiri people;

(d) Promote the image of Pakistan as a strong, dynamic, progressive, moderate and
democratic Islamic country;

(e) Augment economic and commercial interests abroad; and

(f) Protect the interests of Pakistan 's expatriate community abroad.

WORLD MAP
RELATION OF PAKISTAN WITH:
 China
• Pakistan's desire for maximum balance and diversification in its external
relations has also led to close relations with China--a valuable geopolitical
connection. In 1950 Pakistan recognized the new People's Republic of
China, the third noncommunist state and the first Muslim country to do
so. The deterioration in Sino-Indian relations that culminated in the 1962
border war provided new opportunities for Pakistan's relations with China.
The two countries reached agreement on the border between them, and a
road was built linking China's Xinjiang-Uygur Autonomous Region with the
Northern Areas of Pakistan. China supported Pakistan diplomatically in
both its 1965 and 1971 wars with India and provided Pakistan with
economic and military assistance. Pakistan's China connection enabled it
to facilitate the 1971 visit of United States secretary of state Henry
Kissinger to that country, and in the 1980s China and the United States
supplied military and economic assistance through Pakistan to the
Afghan mujahidin fighting the Soviet occupation forces. Pakistan's ties
with China remain strong, and friendly relations between the two
countries continue to be an important factor in Pakistan's foreign policy.
 India
• A major focus in Pakistan's foreign policy is the continuing quest for security against
India, its large, more powerful, and generally hostile neighbor. Pakistan was created
despite the opposition of the most powerful political party in prepartition India,
the Hindu-dominated Indian National Congress, and the suspicion remains among
Pakistanis that India has never reconciled itself to the existence of an independent
Pakistan. Several events further soured the relationship. One of these was the
massive transfer of population between the two countries at partition, with its
attendant bloodshed as Muslims left India and Hindus and Sikhs left Pakistan. There
was also bitterness over the distribution of financial assets left by the British, with
India initially blocking payments to Pakistan from the joint sterling account. An
even more complex issue was the sovereignty of Kashmir, a concern arising from
the accession of the princely states to India or Pakistan at partition. Although
almost all of these states made the choice quickly, based on geographic location
and the religious majority of their population, several delayed. One of these was
Hyderabad, with a predominantly Hindu population and a Muslim ruler who did
not want to accede to India. Hyderabad was a landlocked state in the south of
India, and Indian military intervention was used to incorporate it into India.
• Relations between the two countries reached a new low in 1971,
when India intervened militarily in support of secessionist forces in
East Pakistan, thus playing an instrumental role in the creation of
independent Bangladesh. Although the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
was fought over East Pakistan, heavy fighting also occurred along
the Kashmir cease-fire line. Consequently, under the Simla
Agreement of 1972 following the end of that war, the cease-fire line
in Kashmir was redefined (it is now usually referred to as the Line of
Control), and India and Pakistan agreed not to use force in Kashmir.
The agreement also improved relations sufficiently for India to
release some 90,000 prisoners of war taken when Pakistan's army
had surrendered in East Pakistan.
The circumstances surrounding the conflict over Kashmir changed considerably over the
years, as have the levels of UN involvement in the dispute. The military balance between
India and Pakistan after the latter's defeat in the 1971 war heavily favored India. Another
changed circumstance is that beginning in 1989, India has had to face a virtual "Kashmiri
intifada" in its repressive efforts to keep a sullen and predominantly Muslim Kashmiri
populace under control. This insurrection, India claimed, was supported by the "hidden
hand" of Pakistan. Furthermore, the situation became even more complex with a growing
movement among certain factions of Kashmiri militants for an independent Kashmiri
state, precluding accession to either India or Pakistan. The volatile and potentially
explosive situation in Kashmir continued to be monitored in 1994 by a team of UN
observers, who operated under significant constraints. The Kashmir dispute continues to
be the major deterrent to improved relations between the two countries.
Pakistan's suspicions of Indian intentions were further aroused by India's entry into the
nuclear arena. India's explosion of a nuclear device in 1974 persuaded Pakistan to initiate
its own nuclear program. The issue has subsequently influenced the direction of
Pakistan's relations with the United States and China. United States-Pakistan relations
over the nuclear issue are particularly prickly. Pakistan's relations with China on this issue,
however, have been influenced by both countries' suspicions of India. In 1991 China called
on India to accept Pakistan's proposal of a nuclear-free weapons zone in South Asia. In the
same year, Pakistan and China signed a nuclear cooperation treaty reportedly intended
for peaceful purposes. This agreement included provision by China of a nuclear power
plant to Pakistan.
An added source of tension in Indo-Pakistani relations concerned the Soviet
Union's invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979. India refused to condemn
the Soviet action, while Pakistan provided sanctuary for Afghan refugees and
was a conduit for supplying arms from the United States and others to the
Afghan mujahidin. During the Soviet Union's military intervention in
Afghanistan, therefore, Pakistan felt an increased threat on both its eastern
and northwestern borders. The rise of militant Hinduism in India, and the
accompanying violence against Muslims there, was a further source of
uneasiness between the two countries.