PAKISTAN is engaged in a schizophrenic struggle to avoid economic collapse and international politico-economic isolation. Historically, strong states sometime pursued sakoku closed-country isolationist foreign policy.

Japan pursued this policy for over 220 years (1633-39). It was forced to end the policy after 1853 when American ships commanded by Admiral Perry forced the opening of Japan to American trade through a series of unequal treaties. Within five years, Japan had to sign similar treaties with other Western countries.

China, too, had to sign similar treaties when it refused to kow-tow to British interests. The House of Commons endorsed the Opium War against China (1840). China then had no navy. The British fleet blockaded Canton, besides capturing the island of Zhoushen. China surrendered and signed an unequal treaty to end the war. The treaty dismantled the Canton single-port system and opened four additional ports for trade (Xianmen, Fuzhou, Ningbo and Shanghai.

The British could live there year round, rent property, build homes, station consuls and counsels, and govern themselves. Over the next few years, China had to sign similar ignominious treaties with France and America. Britain attacked China for failure to accept British economic demands (1792 to 1860).

South African General Geldenhuys lays down the criteria for declaring a state a pariah: having ‘artificial borders’ (Iraq), siege mentality, anti-West sentiments and a desire to subvert international status quo (Pakistan?), or not being a considerable `world power’.

India is now influencing not only internal but external policies of recipient countries.

In Sri Lanka, India conspired to remove Mahinda Rajapaksa from office in 2015. Rajapaksa gave China strategic entry into Sri Lanka, by leasing Hambantota port and allowing it to build Colombo port and dock its submarines in Sri Lanka.

India has given Rs2.1billion to Nepal as the first tranche of housing support to 42,086 India-supported beneficiaries in Nuwakot and Gorkha districts. To Bangladesh, India has given $8 billion in loans. New Delhi will contribute Rs4,500 crore to Bhutan’s 12th five-year plan.

While all peripheral countries are growing by leaps and bounds, Pakistan is engrossed in a siege mentality. To avoid being isolated, Islamabad should promote national harmony, and find itself a place as a soft power with democracy as a beacon.

Amjed Jaaved Malik

Rawalpindi

Published in Dawn, January 13th, 2019