KARACHI: China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) considered to be a “Game Changer” for our part of the world with benefits to neighboring countries entails a paradigm shift in Pakistan’s Foreign Policy.
The drone strike that killed Mullah Mansour of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan in a remote district of Pakistan and Afghan shelling at Torkhum border cannot be seen as two separate incident but are linked together aimed to sub-due Pakistan diplomatically. The extra ordinary warm welcome to Indian Premier Narendra Modi by Obama administration and Iranian aggressive statements against Pakistan are also linked to the CPEC.
With two Muslim but hostile neighbors Iran and Afghanistan and enemy number 01, India patronized by United States of America, Pakistan’s top politico-military brass has no other option but to re-evaluate and re-formulate its foreign policy. The process has started as Pakistan has told the American in clear terms that any breach of Pakistan’s geographical frontiers would not be tolerated and in case of any drone strike, appropriate measurers would be inevitable. Sartaj Aziz, Octogenarian Advisor to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs termed the drone strike eliminating Taliban Chief just a few days ahead of peace talks blamed America for sabotaging the Afghan Peace Process. Only today, Sartaj told Pakistan Parliamentarians on Foreign Affairs Committee that “Pakistan has dropped the doctrine of strategic depth in-side Afghanistan” which simply means that policies persued since Zia-ul-Haq era and Pre–Russian invasion of Afghanistan are done away with and Pakistan really wants peace with and within Afghanistan. The Foreign Policy of Pakistan is not controlled by the Security Agencies, stated Sartaj Aziz, demonstrating freedom in foreign policy making. Rejecting the pressure on Pakistan’s government about issue of membership of Nuclear Supply Group (NSG) and to accept a cap on Nuclear programme, Pakistan government has conveyed to the US that national interests and territorial integrity are above all and cannot be compromised.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is part development scheme, part strategic gambit. Although Beijing and Islamabad have been close partners for decades, the CPEC is a reflection of intensified and expanded bilateral cooperation at a time of rising Chinese geopolitical ambition and persistent concerns about Pakistan’s security and development wrote Daniel S. Markey and Daniel S. Markey, two American researchers,
CPEC developments are part of a grander Chinese agenda of regional economic connectivity: the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative outlined in March 2015 by China’s National Development and Reform Committee (NDRC). The highly ambitious plan calls for new state-directed investments in roads, railways, pipelines, ports, and information networks to deepen economic integration and connectivity across Asia and into Africa and Europe.
For Pakistan CPEC is intended to promote connectivity across the country with a network of highways, railways, and pipelines accompanied by energy, industrial, and other infrastructure development projects to address critical energy shortages needed to boost Pakistan’s economic growth. Eventually, the CPEC will also facilitate trade along an overland route that connects China to the Indian Ocean, linking the Chinese city of Kashgar to the Pakistani port of Gwadar.
The above objectives, benefits to China and Pakistan are unacceptable to US and India who in recent days rise up to show cordial and close ties.
The mounting pressure is proving too much for the PML-N government with its Prime Minister recovering in London from a major open heart surgery while establishment back in Pakistan facing un-surmountable pressure from Nation which took May 21 drone strike as aggression against Pakistan. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Raheel Sharif in a strong message warned a two member high level delegation during a call on at General Head Quarters, Rawalpindi that such attacks would badly affect the bilateral relations between the two countries. He also said that war against terror and major offensive of Zarb-e-Azb has been badly affected by the drone strike. The strike has also damaged the peace process with Tehreek-e-Taliban and has increased the danger of retaliatory attacks. COAS also demanded of US to first neutralize terrorists like Mullah Fazalullah who are hiding in Afghanistan and still are a potential threat to Pakistan.Anticipating trouble from Afghanistan, Pakistan decided to control the free movement across Pak-Afghan border and Torkhum was selected as an experimental area to stop Taliban entering Pakistan. Pakistan started construction on a gate to regulate and order entry and exit into Pakistan which met with unprovoked firing by the Afghan security forces into Pakistan since Sunday evening. Instead of supporting steps taken by Pakistan for stepped up security and eliminating entry into Afghanistan or Pakistan by terrorist elements, Afghan aggression underscores Afghan government efforts to keep terrorism brewing and harming Pakistan’s interests.
It is note worthy that Pakistan’s Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA) and auxiliary departments like Pakistan Customs have choked all smuggling points to the detriment of the smugglers as well as terrorists and anti–Pakistan elements benefiting from smuggling and money laundering. Smuggling stated to be a source funding to terrorist and anti state elements was brought to a minimum thus drying a major source of funding. The political groups in Balochistan and Sindh who were known to have linkages with Indian and Afghan secret agencies have been controlled and cut to their size. The action against top bureaucrats on charges of corruption and recovery of billion stashed by them also left agencies worried that whether the money was from corruption or was doled out by enemy agencies to be distributed within Pakistan amongst terrorist groups and organizations.
It appears that after having successfully blocking all channels of funding to anti state elements, the decision makers have turned to revisit the corner stones of our national Foreign Policy. More major decision are likely once Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif comes back healthy and strong as the “Establishment” has confirmed drastic changes in present foreign policy goals. The work on different CPEC projects is underway, federal and provincial governments have allocated ample funds for these projects. Every state element firmly believes that CPEC is a matter of life and death for Pakistan as it is poised to emancipate Pakistan from the category of under developed countries to the list of developing countries and opening vistas for exploring and tapping its export potential both in terms of commodities as well as human resource.
Pakistan’s future and prosperity of its people is now kinked to execution of CPEC projects timely supported by a firm foreign policy in the back drop of emerging challenges as well as new realities, new alignments to achieve national goals set by game changer CPEC.
Pakistan, however must remain cautious of new conspiracies and international development like elections in USA. If Trump comes to power, Pakistan may face tremendous pressure and threats. The Florida Gay Club attack case may be a part of a conspiracy against Pakistan as Omar Mateen’s (Omar Mateen Siddiqui possible full name) links could be traced into our territory and provide an opportunity to our enemies to cause harm.