Foreign policy experts for putting 'own house in order' to pursue objectives.

ISLAMABAD -- The foreign policy experts on Wednesday emphasised that it was indispensable that Pakistan 'puts its own house in order' to successfully pursue its foreign policy objectives.

The Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs of the National Assembly organised its second public hearing on 'Pakistan and the Emerging World Order' at the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS). The hearing was chaired by the chairman of the committee, Mohsin Dawar.

The public hearing was attended by leading foreign policy experts, former diplomats, academics, and students from various universities. The keynote speakers included Dr Maleeha Lodhi, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Hussain Haqqani, Andrew Small, Khalid Banuri, Prof Adil Sultan, Prof Farhan Hanif Siddique, Dr Adnan Rafiq, Prof Ejaz Khan, and former Senator Afrasiab Khattak.

The foreign policy experts emphasised that foreign policy begins at home, and it is indispensable that Pakistan 'puts its own house in order' to successfully pursue its foreign policy objectives and interests.

While highlighting that the world order is witnessing a transition from unipolarity towards multipolarity, the experts noted that Pakistan needs to shun the 'Cold War mentality,' look beyond its ties with the United States and China, and deepen its relations with other parts of the world, in particular Southeast Asia, Africa and South America.

The experts also emphasised that Pakistan needs to enhance its 'soft power' and project a lighter and friendlier image of the country to the world. Highlighting the need to adopt a friendly neighbourhood policy, the experts laid emphasis on charting a pragmatic, as opposed to an emotional, approach vis-a-vis...