ISLAMABAD: Former diplomat Dr Maliha Lodhi on Tuesday called for a tremendous review on the country’s foreign policy, calling for economic self -sufficiency, strategic partnership and focusing on national priorities.
Dr. Lodhi, who served as ambassador to the United States, the UK and the United Nations, was addressing the inaugural meeting of the Pakistan Business Council’s economy.
In view of the geographical political changes in the world, a extensive overview of foreign policy is necessary and obligatory. Such a last review was 20 years ago, he said, while also pointing the importance of improving the economy, increasing diplomatic efforts beyond the pursuit of financial support, and outdated the outdated approach to raise the country’s position. Placing aside.
“All foreign policy begins at home. Depending on external financial resources and internal political turmoil, the weak economy has a lot of weight on Pakistan’s diplomatic behavior and has the potential to emerge as a middle power.
Dr. Milliha Lodhi identified China, US relations, test relations with Kabul, balance between Saudi, Iran Block as priority areas.
Explaining the global landscape, Dr. Lodhi said that Pakistan has to navigate the challenges of its foreign policy in the global geographical political environment, which identifies five key features: “The growing multilateral but multi -faceted weakening. To do, the United States is of great importance with the growing, growing Middle West tension, growing, the importance of middle powers and advance technology.
He emphasized that this global poem has been demanded to restore Pakistan’s foreign policy priorities to tackle the emerging challenges and opportunities.
Dr. Lodhi identified a number of priority sectors for Pakistan’s foreign policy in the near future, including management of relations with China and the United States, navigating the growing test relations with Afghanistan, eliminating opposition relations with India. , Balanced relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and maintaining positive, engage with the European Union.
China is the top priority of Pakistan’s foreign policy. Although relations are strong, many problems need to be resolved, it has the absence of political stability to Pakistan, the security risks to its personnel working here, and the role of the loan from Islamabad. As a security threat to salvation, and publicly emphasized the security risks of security to rid of loan roll overs and debt from Islamabad. The stability of this partnership with China, he insisted, depends on Pakistan’s ability to address these suppressed concerns.
Referring to Pakistan’s relations with the United States, Dr. Lodhi said: “US relations with US relations with US relations with Afghanistan in 2021 have been at an infection point, so the big unknown is that How will Trump’s relations with the United States have been formed as a geographical importance to Pakistan.
He pointed out that President Biden’s era proved to be a reset, as he expressed little interest in Pakistan.
Islamabad has tried to re -engage with Washington so that it can build on Pakistan’s internal importance, not as a function of a third country. But it will not be easy because Pakistan cannot be part of any alliance against China, and Washington has another major obstacle to strategic alignment with India.
Dawn, appeared on January 29, 2025
