Tehmina Janjua, Pakistan’s new foreign secretary, has her task cut out for her. And no, it is not because she is the country’s first woman to hold that significant post. As head of the foreign ministry, she has several pressing priorities that require consummate skills and experience, which she obviously possesses. We can safely assume her priorities will align with that of the army, which officially dictates Pakistan’s foreign policy. But she has to do this without strengthening the growing perception that the entire government answers to military diktat.
At the moment, the Pakistan military’s foreign policy priorities would appear to be: Deal with an increasingly assertive India out to isolate Pakistan globally; continue to aggressively pursue the military’s Kashmir and Afghanistan policies, while ensuring plausible deniability for terror acts which form the backbone of these policies; find ways to deal with an unpredictable new US president; and ensure that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor does not face any international hurdles.
The last two involve walking a tightrope act between Beijing and Washington, which is likely to get harder given the current diplomatic trajectory. Dealing with India is obviously on top of that list, given that the sabre-rattling by both sides has become increasingly louder. Putting terror mastermind Hafiz Saeed under house arrest earlier this year was a token step in that direction, but India and the world are beginning to demand a lot more.
India’s surgical strike on terror camps in PoK last September dramatically raised the stakes. Afghanistan, which has constantly accused Pakistan of terror strikes and intrusions on its territory, is unlikely to be appeased by the recent reopening of the Afghan border by Pakistan. Wednesday’s talks in London between Islamabad and Kabul led to a bland statement about how both sides were working on improving ties. As Pakistan celebrates its Republic Day today, one can only wish the new foreign secretary good luck.