Date: 19-April-2010

 

Lecture on "Pakistan Foreign Policy in the Emerging Scenario"

Functional d emocracy, educating people at grass root level and the rule of law are the basic ingredients to evolve viable and long term foreign policy. Education helps people understanding and pondering over the situation of any international issue and help for the stance. Media of Mass Communication can prove the forum of free debates on any issue and help formulating public opinion accordingly. These views were expressed by renowned foreign affairs expert Deputy Director General Health, Ministry of Health Islamabad, Dr Saad Skinkar Khan while addressing students in a seminar titled “Pakistan Foreign Policy in the Emerging Scenario. The seminar was arranged by the Department of Political Science in collaboration with the External Linkages at University of Gujrat.

 

 

 

While addressing as key note speaker, Dr Saad said that the foreign policy of a nation can never be consistent. It varies from situation to situation. National interest of a country is a core determinant of its foreign policy. For every nation any foreign policy issue has different dimensions. A country can formulate a foreign policy while keeping in view the national interest as prime determinant. Talking on foreign policy formulation in Pakistan, Mr Saad said that for multiple reasons Pakistan’s foreign policy has not institutionalized foundations. Our regimes most of the time developed the foreign policy casually. Earlier, while opening the forum for debate, Mr Shahid Minhas explained the importance of foreign policy for a country. He explained fundamentals and various dimensions of any subject of the foreign relations.

Talking on formulating a successful foreign policy, Mr Saad remarked that in Pakistan formulation of foreign policy lacks the institutionalized debates. Foreign Affairs Department, most of the time gives directions on foreign affairs causally.  Dr Saad prescribed various strategies to be followed for strong and durable foreign policy. He stressed the need to establish academies for the trainings of media persons, area study experts and foreign office officials.

 

Director Planning and Development of the campus, Syed Shabbir Hussain Shah was also a key speaker on the subject. Prof Shabbir Shah while commenting on foreign policy of Pakistan in contemporary circumstances said that Pakistan foreign policy is under the invasive effects of the globalization. Global forces don’t want a nation to be independent in dealing with its affairs. State authority in general is diluting in the world affairs. People are the main asset of the state. Educated and politically conscious public of a society can save its autonomy. Pakistan’s foreign policy can only be effective and viable when people oriented public policy will be developed.

 

Foreign Faculty and the Director Administrative Sciences, Syed Makhdoom Ali Shah was another speaker on the subject. Dr Makhdoom unequivocally remarked that Pakistan lacks the direction of its public policy on different fronts. Leadership in Pakistan lacks the vision of the world affairs. For developing people-oriented foreign policy in Pakistan, Prof Makhdoom said that the determination of the objective is the primary task of the leadership. After determining the objective, masses can be trained and socialized in the manner so that they could be able to respond responsibly.

 

After the lecture question answers session held. Students questioned the speakers on different dimensions of foreign policy of Pakistan.