Pakistan Should Redefine Its Relationship With US
Umer Jamshaid Published April 24, 2019 | 11:28 PM
A two-day workshop for women parliamentarians on "The International Strategic Environment and Pakistan's Policy Imperatives" held in Islamabad Wednesday
Human Rights Minister Dr Shireen Mazari was a key note speaker of the workshop. She gave an overview of the international strategic environment in the post-bipolar era.
On Pak-US relations, Dr. Mazari said that Pakistan should revise its overall US policy and redefine its relationship with the US. She said that the US' strategic goals in the region directly contradict Pakistan's objectives. She stated, "The US wants to contain China, isolate Iran and make India a regional hegemony". She criticized the US's unilateral decision to opt out of international agreements � a move that has led to more chaos in the system. She noted that the Trump administration's decision to recognize Israel's claim on the Occupied Golan heights was in direct violation of international law. Dr Mazari cautioned against Narendra Modi's pledge to abrogate Article 370 which provides special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and Article 35-A of the Indian constitution will change the demography of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).
She argued that after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, NATO required a new rationale for its existence and started out-of-area operations- Afghanistan being a key example of this.
Dr Mazari emphasized that currently, the principle of "Coalitions of the Willing" is being applied to allow direct intervention by certain states, thereby bypassing the UNSC.
While discussing the situation in the middle East and West Asia, Dr. Mazari referred to Ralph Peter's article titled: "Blood Borders" that was published in the June 2006 issue of the US Armed Forces Journal. Peter's, predicted that powerful Muslim states would be weakened and ultimately broken up � a phenomenon that has in fact been unfolding in the Middle East. In the post-9/11 era came the Greater Middle East Initiative GMEI, or Broader Middle East Initiative BMEI which claimed to promote liberal democracy and freedom of speech in these Muslim states, and resulted in the Arab Spring. However, there is still great instability in the region which has resulted in weakened Arab states. This instability created a power vacuum which further strengthened non-state actors and is reflected most clearly in the rise of the militant group including Daesh. She argued that with all these developments unfolding in the Middle East, Pakistan must also recognize the threats and challenges emerging from the western side of its border. Whilst talking about Pakistan-India relations, former Ambassador Zamir Akram noted the root cause of friction between the two countries is the divergence of their strategic objectives.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Mired in crisis, Boeing reports another loss
Session Awarding Ceremony 2024 held at Cadet College Muzaffarabad
Austrian ski great Hirscher to make comeback under Dutch flag
Pakistan, Japan agrees to convene 'Economic Policy Dialogue'
FM Dar conveys deepest sympathy on torrential rains devastation in UAE
Spain PM Sanchez says weighing resignation after wife's graft probe
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results - 1st update
Long-lost Klimt portrait auctioned off for 30 mn euros
Osaka seals first win on clay since 2022 in Madrid
Earthquake jolts Karachi
Sindh minister orders operation after attack on police in Ghotki
TikTok to fight US ban law in courts
More Stories From Pakistan
-
Pakistan, UK discuss collaboration in education sector
6 hours ago -
PMD forecast rain-windstorm/thunderstorm for various parts of country
7 hours ago -
Session Awarding Ceremony 2024 held at Cadet College Muzaffarabad
7 hours ago -
FM Dar conveys deepest sympathy on torrential rains devastation in UAE
7 hours ago -
Earthquake jolts Karachi
8 hours ago -
Sindh minister orders operation after attack on police in Ghotki
8 hours ago
-
Police book youngster for abusing student for one year
8 hours ago -
Police arrest 23 suspects, recover stolen money, phones
8 hours ago -
Colorful cultural festival concludes at NUML
8 hours ago -
Immunization awareness week kicks off in Balochistan
8 hours ago -
Ministers visit Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Hospital following roof collapse incident
8 hours ago -
IHC serves notices in petition against 'roti' price fixation
8 hours ago