THIS is apropos Ishrat Husain`s article `A pragmatic foreign policy` (Sept 30). I agree with the writer that so far the only good relationship we have is with China in terms of trades and also that we should refine our trade policy with other neighbouring countries to maintain mutually beneficial Enancialrelationships that are notbased on emotions and politics.
There have been a lot of minor mistakes which could have been avoided by previous Pakistan officials and we would not have been talking about how unloved Pakistan isin the eyes ofits neighbours,excluding, of course, China. This is also mainly because of Pakistan`s strong strategic position and economic benefits for theChinese.
The Afghans are unhappy about Pakistan`s role in their affairs, yes not maintaining all the US-Afghans but Pakistan should have invested in Afghan through trade and human resource development which would have gained Pakistan long-term trust and a soft corner for it by the people of Afghanistan. Good relationship with Afghanistan would have also opened our route for good economic trade with Central Asian Republics.
Our relation with Iran is not very good though it has been subject to change for time to time. An important factor for the past decade in Pakistan-Iran relationship had been the Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline Project, which was disrupted mainly because of the regionalpoliticsfocusing India and Bangladesh and then, as some analysts say, due to pressure from Saudi Arabia.
And now comes the multiplex topic of relationship between Pakistan and India.
Although the goods trade is regained between the two countries, there had been similar times in the past too but the present mistrust between the two countries creates obstructions.
Itisin both countries`interestto promote trade. According to Obama`s statement in Mumbai in 2010: `The country thathas the biggeststakein Pakistan`s success is India, I think that if Pakistan is unstable that`s bad for India. If Pakistan is stable and prosperous, that`s good.
