Raja Mandala: The world beyond Pakistan

Raja Mandala: The world beyond Pakistan

Article

1 C. Rajamohan, International affairs expert, writes on why India should look beyond Pakistan in its foreign policy engagements.

Important Analysis

2. India has withdrawn from the bilateral talks with Pakistan at the sidelines of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
3. But it is likely that Indo-Pakistan relation will dominate the media headlines rather than India’s other important engagements at the UN.
4. At every multilateral gathering including SAARC summits, ASEAN meet or UNGA the only dominant theme of discussion in the subcontinent is Indo-Pak relations.
5. This has resulted in the inability of the two countries to engage with the larger global issues.
6. There was a time when the voices of both Pakistan and India mattered on the world stage.
7. Pakistan was a key member of the Western alliance system in Asia

• It saw itself as a pragmatic Islamic nation capable of exercising influence in the Middle East.
• It also perceived itself to be acting as a bridge between America and China.
• However, today Pakistan diplomacy is centered on the Kashmir issue.

8. In the past, India’s political voice mattered at the UN when its economic weight was limited but today when it is an economic power it is focused on narrow demands:

• India is seeking a permanent seat at UNSC.
• It is also in a pursuit of the international convention against terrorism.

9. If India looks beyond Pakistan, terrorism and a seat at the UNSC, it will find  three major themes to focus on:

• Sovereignty and multilateralism: USA has adopted an inward looking policy since president Trump got elected. It has resulted in USA withdrawing from the Paris Climate deal as well as UNESCO.
• Global Trade: USA is also threatening to pull out of World Trade Organization (WTO) and is choking its dispute settlement mechanism. The WTO needs to reform in order to survive.
• Middle-East: In Middle East, President Trump is deviating from the conventional path and has cancelled the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran. He is also trying to construct a new Middle East Security Alliance of Arab nations threatened by Iran.

10. How India should approach the UNGA?

• It should not take a formal position on any issues but consider it on the basis of its own interest.
• India has a massive economic and political stakes in Middle-East and act accordingly.
• It should also focus on the changing World Trading System.
• India’s diplomatic engagements at the UN this year should be about crafting a new strategy to address these challenges rather than focusing on Pakistan.