CSS Pakistan Affairs | Pakistan: Statecraft and Geopolitics in Today’s World | Summary
The following question of CSS Pakistan Affairs is solved by Zumar Shakeel under the supervision of Howfiv’s Pakistan Affairs and Current Affairs Coaches. She learnt how to attempt 20 marks question and essay writing from Sir Syed Kazim Ali, Pakistan’s best CSS and PMS English essay and precis teacher with the highest success rate of his students. This solved past paper question is attempted on the pattern taught by Sir to his students, scoring the highest marks in compulsory and optional subjects for years, and uploaded to help aspirants understand how to crack a topic or question, how to write relevantly, what coherence is, and how to include and connect ideas, opinions, and suggestions to score the maximum.
Outline
1- Introduction
2- Historical Context of Pakistan’s Geopolitics
3- Geo-political policies and strategies of Pakistan
4- Global Influence and Impacts on Pakistan’s Geopolitics
5- Analysis of Challenges in Pakistan’s Geopolitical Policies and Their Impacts
6- Conclusion
Answer to the Question
Introduction
Geopolitics is one of the most influential factors deciding a country’s fate economically, strategically, and globally. It is a dynamic interplay of a country’s geography and strategic decisions. Pakistan’s geopolitical history has evolved to protect its national interests and ideology. Since Pakistan was founded on the basis of ideology, it sought to establish its identity immediately after its inception by aligning itself with the concept of Pan-Islamism. Later on, to address its security concerns, it joined the US-led alliance of SEATO, which stands for Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, and CENTO, which stands for Central Treaty Organization, while balancing its relations with the West and Middle East. It established close ties with China after the Sino-Indian War. Therefore, the first phase was marked by the quest for recognition and security. In the second phase(1966-1979), Pakistan tried to mend its relationship with the USSR and focused on initiating its own nuclear program while promoting the Non-alignment Movement and balancing its relationship with China and the Soviet Union. In the third phase, it promoted the mujahideen movement with the help of the USA against the USSR’s invasion of Afghanistan. The fourth phase was shaped by the war on terror, where Pakistan arranged its geopolitics accordingly for the best of national interests. Therefore, Shahid Javed Burki wrote in his book Pakistan Statecraft and Geopolitics in Today’s World, “Pakistan is among the very few Muslim countries that are succeeding in developing social, political, and economic systems that are likely to produce long-term stability.” He quotes Anatol Lieven, who believes Pakistan is a hard country and considers it the Pivot of the world. This demonstrates that Pakistan’s geopolitical history is filled with crisis after crisis, but it has been able to deal with them since its social, political, and economic life was managed by “a system of patron-client relationship.”
Historical Context of Pakistan’s Geopolitics
- Geographical Importance of Pakistan
Pakistan is located in South Asia between 23°35′ to 37°05′ North latitude and 60°50′ to 77°50′ East longitude. It shares its border with China, Iran, India, Afghanistan and the Arabian Sea. Its geographical location makes it pivot of the world, providing access to the important water ways and trade routes through Arabian sea and the Strait of Hormuz which are crucial for the global energy supply. Pakistan’s Proximity to Afghanistan has made it a pivotal player in global conflicts such as the Cold War and the War on Terror. Additionally, its border with China, global power, and strategic alliance further underscore the importance of Pakistan’s location as a bridge between regions and a key player in regional and global politics. Therefore, Burki also mentioned, in his book, the quote of Russian political analyst, author and journalist Andrew Korybko, who wrote an article titled Pakistan, the global Pivot State, says,
“Pakistan’s economic potential, international connectivity capabilities, and unparalleled geostrategic location, combined with [a] world-class military and proven diplomatic finesse over the decades, could turn the country into the global pivot state of the 21st century.”
- Geo-political History of Pakistan
The strategic importance of Pakistan’s geographic location has laid a complex foundation of geopolitical history. However, Pakistan designed its foreign and strategic policies accordingly for the best interests of the nation. These factors have played a crucial part in shaping nation’s path, in a result, the geopolitical history is filled with the events that indicate its strategic importance and sensible polices it made throughout the history. Geopolitical history or Foreign Policy of Pakistan has been divided into four phases, discussed below.
The first phase(1947-1965) was the era of exploration of identity and security. So, Pakistan Joined the US and laid the alliance SEATO in 1954 and the Baghdad pact in 1955 along with Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Great Britain; later on, after the withdrawal of Iraq, it was renamed CENTO in 1959. It built its relations with China after the Sino-Indian war and fought two wars on the Kashmir issue with India, which resulted in settlement and increased tension.
At the start of the second phase(1966-79), Pakistan signed a Peace agreement, the Tashkent Declaration, with India, Which was held by the USSR. It faced the Bangladesh Separation Crises and the emergence of a Nuclear India. However, it initiated its own Nuclear program. In this era, Pakistan sought to improve its relations with the USSR, the Middle East, and China and Promote the non-alignment movement while maintaining its ties with the US and China. It played a key role in the US-China rapprochement and the US-Soviet détente.
The Third phase(1980-2001) was dominated by Afghan war, it support afghan Mujaheddin in Afghanistan against the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan. It also faced challenges due to the Iranian Revolution and the Gulf War. Pakistan conducted, successively, its nuclear test in response to India. Consequently, it completed its nuclear program despite facing pressure and sanctions from the USA. Pakistan also engaged in a series of dialogues with India and ended up in a limited Kargil war in 1999.
In the fourth phase(2002-2024), Pakistan played a crucial role in the War on Terror after 9/11 and faced many challenges, still paying for it. It also faced US-India strategic partnership, as a result, it took a benefit from the rise of China and launched CPEC. In this era, finally, Russia started realising the geo-strategic importance of Pakistan, and both countries were trying to improve their relations. As Burki aptly mentioned in his book,
”It shouldn’t be surprising that China had the foresight to partner with it decades before anyone else did, but great powers like Russia are finally awakening to its importance, and this, in turn, is making Pakistan the most strategically sought-after country in the world.”
Geo-political policies and strategies of Pakistan
History indicates that Pakistan opts for dynamic geopolitical policies and strategies best suited to its national interests. Some underlying reasons behind key strategies and policies are discussed below.
- Joining CENTO and SEATO
After World War 2, Pakistan emerged on the map of the world with its own ideology on the basis of its creation as a separate country. Meanwhile, global powers were tackling communist ideology, which was also not in favour of Pakistan’s identity. On the other hand, there was a Kashmir conflict with India and security threats from India. Therefore, it preferred its ties with the Middle East and the USA over the USSR to fulfil its quest for identity and security.
- Bilateral Defence Cooperation with the US
Pakistan entered into Bilateral relations with the USA as they were the only promising source of assistance. So, it got economic and military aid to protect its border and run a newly emerged state. Moreover, President John F. Kennedy affirmed to President Ayub that US would support Pakistan in the UN council regarding the Kashmir issue. Thus, Shaking hands with the US was also an aligned policy and strategy for the national interests.
- Normalizing Relations with the USSR
The US’s divergence towards India in its provision of military aid to combat China in the region made Pakistan rethink its relationship with the US and explore possible alternatives. On the other hand, the USSR was the largest supplier of military equipment to India. In the changing strategic environment, Pakistan sought opportunities in its relation with the USSR.
- Nuclear Program
India emerged as a nuclear state in 1974, and it was needed for Pakistan to pursue its own nuclear program. As it posed an open threat to Pakistan’s security, Pakistan managed to withstand pressure and sanctions from the West and carried on with its nuclear program.
- Supporting the Mujaheddin
In the Afghan-USSR conflict, Pakistan decided to help the Afghan mujahedin with military and economic aid from the United States. Pakistan provided them with the proper defence and combat training against the USSR. The reason was the USSR’s intentions behind its invasion. USSR, in research of Warm Waters, occupied Afghanistan, and Pakistan assessed its intention and thought about the possibility that it could invade Pakistan too, in order to get access to the warm waters. Thus, supporting Afghanistan was strategically beneficial for Pakistan.
- China and CPEC
CPEC is not merely an economic initiative; it is also a cornerstone of Pakistan’s geopolitical and strategic importance. It strengthens Pakistan as a pivotal country while enhancing its role as an important trade and energy corridor. Additionally, Burki also considers the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) the most important part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Its global dimensions are mind-boggling.
Global Influence and Impacts on Pakistan’s Geopolitics
No doubt, Pakistan always prefers its national interests when opting for any geopolitical policies and strategies, but there were influential dynamics that shaped its geopolitical history. Such as
- Cold War and global powers
Though joining the Western alliance was in Pakistan’s interest, the other side of the coin shows a different perspective. To combat the USSR, Western countries needed allies to prevent the spread of Communist ideology. India followed a non-alignment policy during Nehru’s tenure, making Pakistan the best choice to counter communism.
- Sino-Indian war
The Sino-Indian War was fought between India and China over a border dispute. Pakistan saw potential in its relationship with China, following the principle of ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend.’ As a result of the Sino-Indian War, China and Pakistan became a strategic alliance.
- Tashkent declaration
The Tashkent Declaration was the agreement signed between Pakistan and India after the 1965 war over the Kashmir dispute. It was backed by the USSR. Although Pakistan, to some extent, had a better position after the war, it had to take a step back. As a result of this agreement, the status of the Kashmir issue became bilateral instead of unilateral.
- Fall of Dhaka
Although there were several domestic policies behind the fall of Dhaka, there were also global influences in East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. India’s direct intervention in Bangladesh and the USA and USSR’s indirect support to India made this happen.
- Gulf Conflict and Sectarianism in Pakistan
During the Afghan-USSR war, the grounds for sectarianism were taking root in Pakistan. As the Saudi-Iran conflict escalated, both sides tried to use the locals of Pakistan by providing funds—specifically, Sunni funding by Saudi Arabia and Shia funding by Iran. Sectarianism is the result of global politics and has weakened Pakistan’s foundations.
- War on Terror
Pakistan was a founding supporter of the Mujaheddin, which became labelled as a terrorist globally after the 9/11 attack. Pakistan was initially reluctant to provide its land as military bases to the USA, but it did have a second option if Pakistan did not provide them with their own territory, the USA might use Indian territory, which would not be in Pakistan’s favor. So, Pakistan entered the war on terror, begrudgingly. Consequently, after the USA’s withdrawal after a decade, Pakistan is still coping with its aftermath.
Analysis of Challenges in Pakistan’s Geopolitical Policies and Their Impacts
Besides protecting its national interest there were challenges throughout the history and are still present to Pakistan due to its geopolitcs. These are discussed below;
- Suez Canal issue(1956) and Arab Criticism
In its early years, Pakistan was criticized by Arab countries over its neutral stance. Pakistan remained neutral due to its alliance with Western countries, but the Middle East was dissatisfied. As a result, Saudi Arabia welcomed Nehru with the slogan ‘Marhaba Rasool Aslam,’ which means ‘Welcome, the messenger of peace,’ while undermining the sentiments of Pakistan.
- U-2 Plane Incident
The U-2 plane was a spy plane shot down by the USSR in 1957. It took off from the USA’s secret intelligence facility in Pakistan. The incident caused embarrassment for the US, and the USSR also put Pakistan in a challenging situation. Nikita Khrushchev threatened to drop a nuclear bomb on Peshawar, warning Pakistan that it had become a target of Soviet nuclear forces. In a way, Pakistan’s relations were impacted.
- Nuclear program and USA’s Sanction
Pakistan started its nuclear program in the 1970s after India’s successful nuclear test. However, the USA imposed sanctions on Pakistan and stopped economic and military aid under the Glenn Amendment in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s due to concerns over nuclear proliferation. After Pakistan’s successful nuclear test in 1998, the USA again applied sanctions under the Pressler Amendments, which it eventually lifted in the 2000s
- War on Terror and Terrorism inside Pakistan
Pakistan was paid a lot in response to providing bases to the USA against the Taliban. The outrage of the USA made Pakistan vulnerable to terrorism, as it directly affected the rights of the state. Pakistan is still countering the terrorist group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). According to Burki, TTP considers it a legitimate right in Pakistan, as they believe Pakistan is not a purely Islamic country and that they are the Islamic force that will enforce Islam in Pakistan by any means. Thus, Pakistan is still facing challenges that are impacting its sovereignty.
- Pulwama attack and Modi factor
The Pulwama attack of 2019 in Indian-occupied Kashmir provided Modi and the BJP with an opportunity to promote an anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan narrative in Pakistan. After this attack, India revoked the special status of Kashmir. The BJP also intensified the fire of Hindutva against the Muslims living in India. Burki mentioned his own experience with an Indian businessman. He wrote that The Indian tycoon said that he was in charge of a large business that worked in a number of Asian countries but not Pakistan.
“I told you that I hate Pakistan and any involvement by my business in that country would be over my dead body,”
He said, despite knowing that Burki was from Pakistan.
Burki then gives reasons why Pakistan needs to “keep a close watch on India.” The first is India’s success in building a representative system of political governance, which influenced other South Asian nations but was “now on a downward spiral.” If it goes too far in “negating a democratic set-up”, it will have consequences for the rest of Asia.
The second concern is the rise of Hindu nationalism in India. For various reasons, the nationalist fever that is knocking down political systems in the West has, according to the author, caught on in India as well. If the trend is not arrested, he says, it will spread to other parts of the Subcontinent.
The third concern is that the ‘India first’ approach in policy-making in New Delhi will retard progress in South Asia at a time “when the importance of physical connectivity is being recognised in other parts of the region.”
Conclusion
In conclusion, Pakistan’s geopolitical history has been shaped by its strategic location, complex alliances, and the pursuit of national security. Its alliance with the USA during the Cold War and its careful management of relations with China were central to safeguarding its national interests, particularly security. Pakistan has consistently formulated its policies and strategies with India in mind, recognizing the need to address regional security concerns. Throughout its political history, a patron-client relationship has been maintained for military and economic support despite facing various challenges. Global dynamics have played a crucial role in shaping Pakistan’s position as a pivot in the world. Moving forward, as global dynamics continue to evolve, Pakistan’s ability to balance its international relations will remain essential for its security and future development. Effective strategic and geopolitical management will be key to ensuring stability and peace in the region.
CSS Solved Past Papers’ Essays
Looking for the last ten years of CSS and PMS Solved Essays and want to know how Sir Kazim’s students write and score the highest marks in the essays’ papers? Then, click on the CSS Solved Essays to start reading them.
CSS Solved Essays
CSS Solved Islamiyat Past Papers
Want to read the last ten years’ Islamiyat Solved Past Papers to learn how to attempt them and to score high? Let’s click on the link below to read them all freely. All past papers have been solved by Pakistan’s top CSS Islamiyat coach having the highest score of their students.
CSS Solved Islamiyat
CSS Solved General Science & Ability Past Papers
Want to read the last ten years’ General Science & Ability Solved Past Papers to learn how to attempt them and to score high? Let’s click on the link below to read them all freely. All past papers have been solved by Pakistan’s top CSS GSA coach having the highest score of their students.
CSS Solved General Science & Ability
