Tyranny of power asymmetry.

Byline: Maleeha Lodhi

PAKISTAN'S foreign policy objectives have been remarkably consistent over the years. They have principally been shaped by its geostrategic location in a tough neighbourhood which imposed heavy security burdens on the country. This explains why security concerns - given Pakistan's enduring quest for security - had such a dominant influence on the evolution of its foreign policy. The sweep of the country's foreign policy over the decades also reveals a complex interplay between internal and external factors, and between domestic goals and an ever-changing international environment.

Of course, big power interests in the region had a major impact on policy, intersecting with elite interests to sometimes complicate if not aggravate Pakistan's challenges. An unedifying aspect of this was a mindset of dependence fostered among officials during prolonged periods of the country's alignments. This dependence proved to be habit forming. Reliance on external financial assistance - as a consequence of these alignments - created a perverse incentive for urgent economic reform and serious domestic resource mobilisation. It also encouraged ruling elites to constantly look outside to address financial deficits and other sources of internal vulnerabilities, even see outsiders as catalytic agents to promote development and solve problems at home.

Abdul Sattar's book Pakistan's Foreign Policy 1947-2019, whose fifth edition has been published this year, does not examine this linkage between the internal and external and how they have been intertwined in such a consequential way. But it offers a useful beginner's guide to the many twists and turns of foreign policy. Meant primarily for students of international relations, it remains a valuable starting point for anyone interested in learning - in concise form - about the factors driving Pakistan's external engagements since the country's inception.

Sattar witnessed first-hand many of the watershed developments in foreign relations during his 39-year career in the foreign service. As foreign secretary he was a participant in several key policy decisions. I had the privilege of working briefly with him in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 when I served as Pakistan's ambassador to the US and he became foreign minister. I found him anxious to listen to the assessment and advice of the mission - rarely done now - and eager to share his perspectives with our team. His visits to Washington at a...