A few days back while addressing the budget session of National Assembly Prime Minister Imran Khan loudly and clearly stated his foreign policy regarding the USA. He said, “We can be partners in peace with America, but we cannot be partners in conflict anymore.”
Two days after the statement,2.5 million doses of Moderna vaccine arrived in Pakistan under the COVAX program. COVAX is co-led by CEPI, Gavi and WHO, alongside key delivery partner UNICEF. And this initiative was taken to help the developing countries in vaccine procurement to inoculate their population and fight back against Covid-19.
Pakistan has been procuring vaccines since January this year from multiple sources, mainly China and the COVAX program. The sources of these vaccines are multiple including the Chinese, British and US governments. Pakistan also worked to procure Russian Sputnik-V vaccine but its administration has not started on a mass level. As per NCOC sources, almost 10 million first doses have been injected to Pakistanis till now and the mass vaccination programme is continuing uninterrupted.
The global vaccination drive is also going in a full fledged manner and many developed nations have almost three quarters of their populations inoculated. The world has again shown its commitment to integration and globalization amid a global crisis. Just as it did in the post-1940s and 1970s economic disruptions, and the world witnessed new eras of globalization. But how far the statement stands true today? The other side of the picture needs to be assessed too.
But amid all this, the real conundrum is faced by the developing and other developed nations. The US and NATO forces are hastily leaving Afghanistan and concluding their War on Terror efforts in the region in a chaos. They are thus leaving behind another space to be taken over by the countries that are looking to create new alliances regionally and globally.
As the world is apparently trying to contain a pandemic and re-open the economy to mitigate the devastation, the global realignment seems to be taking place along too on the basis of conservatism, protectionism, nationalism and autarky. The leading nations of the world are trying to use the pandemic to realign their global support and create new alliances. This has led to the emergence of vaccine nationalism. The world’s leading nations which contributed to the development of vaccines are now using their supply to take over the support of developing nations in International geopolitical arena.
One example to understand this situation is of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has again decided this yearng on principle to not allow pilgrimage for Hajj. And for people trying to enter the country, it has only allowed those who are vaccinated by US- and UK- made vaccines including Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca, while disallowi Chinese vaccines including Sinopharm and Sinovac. Although the WHO has granted emergency use to both Sinopharm and Sinovac many countries are still not accepting it including Saudi Arabia, based on prejudice and their support in disguise for their geostrategic partners. This policy has created a huge problem for Pakistan as many expats who were vaccinated with Chinese vaccines are now stranded.
Pakistan, already facing geopolitical and economic constraints, has found herself in the midst of another dilemma. It has procured and administered Sinopharm and Sinovac to most of its population till now. And international travel as it seems, is going to get difficult for many citizens in future.
Vaccine Nationalism has also created similar problems for the European Union as its procurement fo,r Chinese-made vaccines got pushbacks a number of times due to geopolitics and thus the rate of vaccination throughout Europe has remained slow.
Similarly, trade protectionism and political conservatism has increased too and thus reintegration is facing disintegration instead. And many people are questioning the future of globalization. The world may face hurdles to its massive rebuilding efforts if the reversal of globalization occurs.
As the global demands for goods have also changed, people are looking for new visions and new leadership and powerful countries, mainly the USA and China, are pushing themselves to take on a leading role to assert their economic and strategic prowess.
But amid all this, the real conundrum is faced by the developing and other developed nations. The US and NATO forces are hastily leaving Afghanistan and concluding their War on Terror efforts in the region in a chaos. They are thus leaving behind another space to be taken over by the countries that are looking to create new alliances regionally and globally.
And thus PM Imran Khan’s statement in National Assembly is thus an entailment to a shift in foreign policy to catch up to the regional and global realignment. The fragmentation, multilateralism, confrontation and disruption are thus ensued. Is there an emergence of “Nebulization” — globalization vanishing in a viral haze?
