The The Environment of ‘Multipolarity’ and Foreign Policy of Pakistan: An Appraisal

The Environment of ‘Multipolarity’ and Foreign Policy of Pakistan: An Appraisal

Abstract

This paper is an attempt to analyze the emerging international environment and assess the Foreign Policy of Pakistan to determine what it needs to focus on since the world has entered into new dynamics of international politics. The study makes the point that contestation of international politics had allowed transformation of political actors from one to another and reveals that the political dynamics of Cold War, post-Cold War with that of post 9/11 world order have accommodated the transformation from bipolarity to unipolarity, and onward to multipolarity as the contemporary phase of political order. Answers are surrounded with a question, how and why the above factions of politics undermined geopolitical relevance of Pakistan as leading state in the region while making it a client state to global competition. Since Pakistan’s ability to shape international environment is limited, therefore to posture contemporary foreign policy priorities, following questions are contested that include, does Islamabad need adjustments to align her with the emerging realities of multipolarity to safeguard its interests? What would these policy adjustments if any, entail? Is course correction possible? The appraisal is carried out by analyzing the emerging trends and drivers of the international environment, which is followed by Pakistan’s policies since the end of the cold war, the challenges it faces in the light of the emerging international environment, and suggested policy options. The study is deductive in nature and premises neoliberal ‘complex interdependence’ of Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye (1977) to contest the very philosophical fabric of bipolarity, unipolarity, and multipolarity.