Pakistan’s Relations with Other Countries

● Writing an Introduction: Understand the DOMINANT theme b/w two countries

○ There is always a dominant idea/concept that defines relations between two countries:
○ If a question is given on relations with any country, Start your introduction with
the dominant theme between countries
● With India: Security Dilemma defines Pakistan-India Relations
○ What is the Security Dilemma? Stronger States (like Ind) heightens its security →
Makes Weaker State (PK) Insecure → Weaker State also Increases its security →
So on
■ Security Dilemma means when one country increases its security measures,
other country feels insecure and takes step to mitigate its insecurity by
either armament, alliance, aggression or any offensive measure
■ This dilemma prevails in an environment of misperception and uncertainty
■ Pakistan-India relations are a classical case of security dilemma
■ In a security dilemma, not the powerful state (with potential), rather the
weaker feels insecure and is in dilemma e.g. Pakistan in case of India-Pakistan
views each step of India as a security threat
○ India Uses Security Dilemma as a tool to Keep Pakistan on Toes & Non-
State Actors Deterred
■ India uses this security dilemma as a strategy against Pakistan because India
has realized that until the Security Dilemma is low, then Non-State Actors take
advantage of this to plan a terrorist event in India. So Indians like to keep
security dilemma with Pakistan high because in this case Non-State Actors do
not react
■ 2008: When CMBs were at peak, Mumbai Attacks
■ 2015-16: Marriage Diplomacy (Modi Visited Nawaz Sharif
Granddaughter Marriage), led to attacks on Pathankot, Uri
■ Last 7-8 Years, Indians are trying to enhance/intensify Pakistan’s
Security Dilemma
■ Non-State Actors have a very narrow understanding of global dynamics,
and they usually exploit situations when their target is weak
 ■ Even if there is a Water Crisis between India-Pakistan, Indians stop
Pakistan’s Water and do not develop understanding with Pakistan to
prevent Non-State Actors from exploiting the situation
● With the USA: Convergence and Divergence of Interests
○ Convergence: When interests are common
○ Divergence: When Interests are conflicting/opposite
○ Idea of Strategic Backwater: Zaroorat k Dost/Interest-Based Friendship
○ US has always treated Pakistan as a ’Strategic Backwater’ – Pakistan as a
Client State during Temporary Phases of Convergence
■ Convergence when Pakistan was needed : Cold War, War against Terror
● It is always the Pakistan which became indispensable for the USA
eg Afghan War, Cold War, War on Terror
● These phases were of Convergence
● 1980s: Convergence because they
■ Divergence after Cold War: Pressler Amendment 1990
● After Cold War, when Interest of USA in Pakistan dwindled,
They enacted Pressler Amendment in 1990
○ Nuclear non-proliferation: The amendment aimed to
prevent Pakistan from developing nuclear weapons.
○ Certification requirement: The US President had to
annually certify that Pakistan did not possess nuclear
explosives.
○ Military aid restrictions: If certification was not made,
military aid and technology sales to Pakistan would be
suspended.
● With the China: Natural Ally
○ What are natural Allies? Countries with complementary interests
■ Natural Allies are those with which two countries have Complementary Interests
■ When we categorize National Interest, they are of 3 types
● Common Interests → Could be only in a significant phase of time
(like USA)
● Complementary Interests → When one state fulfills its interests, it
leads to fulfillment of other’s interests.
● Conflicting Interests →
○ China & Pakistan’s Interest are always complementary so Natural Allies:
Pakistan doesn’t even condemn Uyghur Muslims Case despite
■ China is an economic giant but it needs strategic corridors. Pakistan is in
an economic crisis but has geostrategic importance. Natural Ally.
■ Natural Allies do not give aggressive posture to one another in any case.
■ Pakistan openly condemns oppression against Muslims except Uyghr Muslims
● Afghanistan: Prisoner’s Dilemma
○ Prisoner Dilemma=Mistrust
■ Prisoner’s Dilemma is basically a mistrust, and it is in Afghanistan.
 ○ Prisoner Dilemma of Afg: Pakistan interferes in Afg Internal Matters and uses it
as a depth against India
■ Afghanistan thinks that Pakistan has always been using Afghanistan only as
a Strategic Depth OR as a Client State and Pakistan wants to remain involved
in Afghanistan forever
■ Even After Jehad 1979-1988, Pakistan has done organized invasions
(and supported Taliban)
■ No Matter what steps Pakistan takes, Afghanistan does not appreciate it
■ Afghani Masses think that Pakistan was behind Taliban’s Capture of
Kabul (Although it was not a reality)
○ Cause of this Dilemma = Pakistan’s policies in 20th century & Its consequence
is failure to build solution b/w two countries
■ Unfortunately, Pakistan’s decisions in the 20th Century led to this mistrust
in Afghanistan
■ Until there is a Prisoners Dilemma among two Countries, No solution is likely
to succeed
● Iran: People-Centric Approach
○ In International Politics, Some relations are imposed automatically
○ Relations are emotional & people-people, not defined by states: Prevents
both countries from going against each other despite Border Issues
■ In Iran-Pakistan, relations are not dictated by the state rather they are
of people-centric nature
■ Emotional Strings with Iran, especially of 25% of the Population
■ Although, Goldsmid Line (Border bw Iran & Pakistan) is riddled with
Narcotics, Smuggling, Human Trafficking, Cross-Border Terrorism
■ But People-Centric Relations do not allow any of the state of develop
any hardliner step
○ Iran has maximum consulates in Pakistan: High People-to-People Linkage
■ For Pakistan, People-Centric Approach is maximum with Iran
■ Iran Embassy has so many consulates in Pakistan: Karachi, Quetta,
Peshawa, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gilgit, Skardu, Hyderabad, Multan)
■ So People-to-People contact is so high b/w both countries which restrains
both countries from any aggression
○ Even in Exception Feb 2024, Attacks were on terrorists and situation
calmed down
■ In Feb 2024, an exception occurred when Pakistan & Iran did some
calculated strikes BUT on both sides, targets were only terrorists
● Russia: ‘De-hyphenated approach of Russia’
○ Big Power defines nature of Relations
■ Russia is a Big Power
■ Nature of Relations is determined by Russia
 ○ Russia remained hyphenated till 21st century: Supported India and
opposed Pakistan
■ Russians, till the beginning of 21st century, took hyphenated approach
(no trade/arms/exercises/relations with Pakistan and stay close to India)
○ De-Hyphenated in 21st century: Supports everyone despite their internal
rivalries; Both Ind & Pak; Holds Maximum Military Exercises/Drills with
Pakistan & Trades with India as well
■ But the Russia of 21st century has become de-hyphenated, so now their
nature of relations does not rely on rivalries
■ In last one and half decade, Russians are making deals with India (oil, arms) but
also with Pakistan (Russia has done maximum naval and military drills and
exercises with Pakistan, most of them under SCO. Continuously happening
since 2017)
● Turkiye: Unanimous Foreign Policy on Global Issues
○ Pakistan & Turkey have unanimous Foreign Policy Stance on all of the Global Issues
○ Only difference is in framing/language/whether active or passive of that stance
○ Case of Israel, Bosnia, & Iraq-Kuwait War: Both Support Palestine,
Bosnian Independence, Kuwait
■ Turkiye is more active ; Pakistan is bit passive but both have Pro-
Palestine approach
■ Bosnia 1990 Crisis:
■ Iraq War against Kuwait: Turkiye gave bases to NATO and Pakistan’s state
had sympathies with Kuwait State
● KSA/UAE/Qatar: Strategic Partnership
○ Pakistan as a strategic Asset for Gulf : Arms Deal, Security Collaboration,
Food Exports to Gulf, Gulf Supported PK every crisis; & Pakistan’s Diaspora in
Gulf
■ Strategic Partnership
■ Pakistan is considered as a strategic asset for Gulf Countries thats why they
have always supported Pakistan in every major crisis
■ They give largest deals to Pakistan on conventional arms
■ Security Collaboration with KSA is highest
○ KSA/UAE/Qatar all have been given 2 lac acre land in Pakistan, on which whatever
grows is given to these countries
○ Largest Diaspora of Pakistan is in these countries
● UK: UK’s Foreign Policy Towards Commonwealth
○ Also a big power and it determines nature of Relationship
○ When UK’s inclined towards Europe, Dwindles Relations with Commonwealth
& Vice Versa, especially after Brexit
■ UK Foreign Policy Approach: Whenever UK has remained Pro-Europe,
then relations with all commonwealth countries dwindled
■ Whenever relations with Europe dwindled, UK became more inclined
towards Commonwealth countries, especially after Brexit
■ Under GSP States, 1/3rd of Pakistan trade was with UK but after
Brexit, Pakistan’s trade with UK increased because UK