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Pakistan
FOREIGN POLICY
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
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