MONGABAY.COM
Mongabay.com seeks to raise interest in and appreciation of wild lands and wildlife, while examining the impact of emerging trends in climate, technology, economics, and finance on conservation and development (more)
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
|
|
Pakistan
Index
Pakistan's foreign policy has been marked by a complex
balancing process--the result of its history, religious
heritage,
and geographic position. The primary objective of that
policy has
been to preserve Pakistan's territorial integrity and
security,
which have been in jeopardy since the state's inception.
A new era began with the partition of British India in
1947
and the formation of two independent, sovereign
states--India and
Pakistan. Both nations searched for their place in the
world
order and aspired to leadership roles beyond the
subcontinent.
India and Pakistan became adversaries at independence
and
have so remained. The two countries fought each other
shortly
after partition, in 1965, and in 1971, causing the
dismemberment
of Pakistan and the creation of still another new
sovereign
entity--Bangladesh. India-Pakistan rivalry intensified
rather
than diminished after the Cold War, and the Kashmir
territorial
dispute remains dangerous and recurrent.
Pakistan sought security through outside alliances. The
new
nation painstakingly worked on building a relationship
with the
United States, in which the obligations of both sides were
clearly defined. The Western-oriented, anticommunist
treaties and
alliances Pakistan joined became an important part of its
foreign
policy. Pakistan also saw itself as a vanguard of
independent
Muslim states.
Data as of April 1994
|
|