The G20 Summit in New Delhi saw the announcement of the India-Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEC), an ambitious programme clearly meant to rival China’s Brick and Road Initiative, of which the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is an important component. The announcement may have come on the sidelines of the Summit, but Pakistan should notice that apart from India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the EU, France, Italy, Germany and the USA have all signed on. These are all traditional allies, with the exception of India. Past experience should tell us that India has always done its best to use international forums against Pakistan. It is also worth remarking that Saudi Arabia and the UAE are also involved in economic engagement with Pakistan in a big way, and if they were to distance themselves from Pakistan because of the Indian pull, that would be potentially disastrous. The same applies to EU members and the USA. And how has the Pakistan government reacted? With resounding silence.
Nothing illustrates more clearly the limitations under which a caretaker government labours. It is not so much that the members of the caretaker government will be long gone and buried when the IMEC and CPEC yield their full fruits. That also applies to whoever is elected PM whenever the election is held. However, the countries will still be around. It is the task of the government, and especially the Foreign Office, to take positions now that will stand the country in good stead in the future. The habit of living in the present, and of burying one’s head in the sand, ostrich-like, when the future comes up, has to stop. This was an occasion simply crying for Pakistan to show some activity, perhaps illustrate the fact that it is not friendless by involving China in some demonstration. China may have been left alone at the G20, but it should be shown that the gains it has made by brokering the Saudi-Iran peace deal are still very much there, and that Pakistan can be helpful there.
Pakistan has found itself in this situation because its government is that of caretakers, who are ill-suited to take an initiative because they lack the kind of popular support that comes only through elections. Even toeing the Chinese line, which was to make a statement of welcome despite its pointed exclusion, would have been preferable to the deafening silence that has been the country’s reaction to what is after all a major challenge.
