Besides the global power play, instability in Afghanistan and the associated threat of terrorism are the major factors driving the emerging realignment in the region involving Pakistan, China and Russia, former diplomats and academics believe. They were speaking at a conference 'Pakistan's Relations with China and Russia: Opportunities and Prospects,' jointly hosted by the Center for International Strategic Studies (CISS) and German institute Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS). Speakers at the conference besides exploring the contours of the relations of Pakistan with China and Russia looked at the future trajectories and possibilities.

CISS Executive Director Amb Sarwar Naqvi, while presenting the conclusions of the conference, noted that "cross-cutting relationships were coming up in the region without entirely impacting the old relations." He cited examples of Pak-China relationship remaining strong but at the same time Beijing and Delhi working to improve their ties, similarly Russia is maintaining its traditional relations with India, but is also developing friendship with Pakistan. US, meanwhile, despite its preference for strategic partnership with India is not ditching Pakistan either.

Amb Naqvi recalled that simultaneously three major efforts at containment are also underway with India containing Pakistan, US containing China, and US along with Western allies containing Russia. Dr Zafar Nawaz Jaspal, associate professor at Quaid-e-Azam University's School of Politics and International Relations, urged Pakistan government to pursue realistic policies to protect vital interests of the country. "We have to move carefully. There is no brotherhood in international relations, everyone moves according to national interest. Instead of entirely relying on China and Russia, it would be better to have proactive and innovative strategies," he said cautioning that while Pakistan's relations with both Beijing and Moscow were on positive trajectories there could be challenges ahead as well.

Dr Jaspal said Russia, China and Pakistan all have concerns about the situation in Afghanistan and are also worried about rise of Islamic State (Da'ish). This, he believed, could bring the three countries further closer. It should be recalled that Russia, China and Pakistan out of their concern for the aggravating situation in Afghanistan and growing footprint of Da'ish there started a trilateral process, which has now expanded to include 12 regional countries. A meeting of these 12 countries hosted by Moscow earlier this month ended with call for Taliban to end violence and join peace process, which Russia offered to sponsor. Pakistan's former envoy to Russia Amb Khalid Khattak recapped the events that led to improvement of Islamabad-Moscow ties and observed that mutual concerns about Afghanistan brought the two countries further closer. -PR

Copyright Business Recorder, 2017