Nawaz Sharif’s directions to Pakistan’s Foreign Office for Pakistan’s Foreign Policy towards India

My Analysis on Ex Foreign Secretary Tasneem Aslam’s disclosures on Nawaz Sharif’s directions to Pakistan’s Foreign Office

Pakistan’s Foreign Policy towards India is considered as one of the most tricky and sensitive one since its inception . In diplomacy, there is no permanent settled way to tackle a situation . Simla Agreement is the first direct robust interaction between Pakistan and India on longstanding issue of Kashmir, followed by General Zia ul Haq’s Cricket Diplomacy during highly tensed Indo-Pak relations. During Rajiv Ghandi’s Visit to Pakistan, PPP government is accused of removing boards of Kashmir House Islamabad. Simultaneously Lahore Accord was signed between Atal Bihari Bajpai and Nawaz Sharif on 21 Feb 1999.

The Lahore Declaration signalled a major breakthrough in overcoming the historically strained bilateral relations between the two nations in the aftermath of the publicly performed atomic tests carried out by both nations in May 1998. Widely popular in the public circles in Pakistan and hailed by the international community, the relations would soon lose impetus with the outbreak of the controversial Kargil debacle in May 1999.
General Musharaf also realized the importance of continuity of Dialogue of Kashmir issue, even after the Kargil Controvercy. The Agra summit was a historic two-day summit meeting between India and Pakistan which lasted from 14–16 July 2001. It was organized with the aim of resolving long-standing issues between India and Pakistan.

At this meeting, a proposal was made to drastically reduce nuclear arsenals, and other issues involving the Kashmir dispute, and cross-border terrorism. However, the negotiations broke down and the process was collapsed so the Agra treaty was never signed.
Nawaz Sharif , during his last tenure has developed a personal relationship with Indian PM Modi – He called Modi to his grand daughter’s marriage and exchanged the turbans. The personal diplomacy has become a factor to raise many eye-brows in the tiers of Military Establishment. Earlier, Nawaz Sharif met with Indian Steel Tycoon Jindal and his family and turned down requests to meet Kashmiri Hurriat leaders, it was considered as the denial of ‘National Narrative’ of Pakistan on Kashmir by the head of government of Pakistan. During the last leg of the Nawaz Sharif , Jindal met Nawaz Sharif secretly at Murree , which is not liked by the Establishment .. In diplomacy there is not a single organ of the State , is involved in the policy formulation . All states of the world have similar practice . The Security Establishments have robust inputs in foreign Policy’s strategic face of the respective country .

The arrest of an Indian spy Kulbhushan Yadav, who is a serving officer of Indian Navy , has exposed the personal intent of Nawaz Sharif , which is considered as part of Nawaz Sharif’s Personal Diplomacy, as foreign Minister as well as Prime Minister of Pakistan. He intetionlly didn’t not appoint foreign minister of Pakistan. As rightly said by Barrister Aitezaz Ahsan that Nawaz Sharif would never utter the name of the Indian Spy , in whatever circumstances and he did manifest the same. At the same time Indian Defence analysts believed and orchestrated that “ Indian has invested on Nawaz Sharif a lot in terms of diplomatic and Capital , If Nawaz Sharif is moved from the narrative , the then entire narrative changes that is the reason we are confused.”

If we analyse the successive diplomatic ventures of Pakistan with India, we can reac a conclusion that Nawaz Sharif’s personal diplomacy has proved to be counter-productive as Modi became a fascist leader of Hinduvta and amended/ repealed Article 270 and 35- A, while imposing curfew in Indian Held Kashmir , which is still persisted. The amended Citizenship Act (CAA) and NRC has exposed the Modi’s Nazi-style governance which has led to Muslim Genocide and set on fire/burn tens of Mosques in India.

Tasneem Aslam’s revelations has started a new debate that conduct of a Chief Executive (Civil of Military dictator) on National narratives can ruin the national interests of the country or otherwise.?