Pakistan's diplomatic ambitions come under scrutiny amid concerns over reliability: Report
Islamabad, May 30
Pakistan's relevance on the global platform does not rest on neutrality or credibility. Any diplomatic process particularly involving Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Israel where Islamabad seeks a decisive role should be approached with strict limits, hard verification, and deep skepticism, a report has highlighted.
According to a report in Counterpoint, Pakistan is attempting to portray itself as an "indispensable diplomatic broker", including in US-Iran negotiations. However, it said diplomacy is not grounded on "convenience" but on credibility-- as Islamabad's past track record raises serious doubts about its reliability.
It added that since its creation in 1947, Pakistan has displayed a troubling pattern of signing agreements and brokering deals only to violate them when they conflict with its strategic or ideological interests.
"Right at partition, Pakistan backed a tribal invasion of Kashmir in October 1947, sending armed raiders to seize the princely state before its ruler could decide its future. This forced the Maharaja to accede to India, yet Pakistan has never accepted that reality, turning Kashmir into a permanent flashpoint. The pattern continued. The UN-brokered ceasefire and the 1972 Shimla Agreement committed India and Pakistan to peaceful dispute resolution and respect for the Line of Control. Yet in 1999, Pakistan crossed that line in the Kargil War, just months after the Lahore Declaration had again promised peace," the report detailed.
"Even the 1971 crisis in East Pakistan revealed deep internal betrayal: West Pakistan's military launched a genocide by killing hundreds of thousands of its own Bengali citizens as well as using rape as a weapon of war, also estimated in the hundreds of thousands," it further stated.
The report noted that following the 9/11 US terror attacks, Pakistan received billions in American aid to combat terrorism yet sheltered Osama bin Laden, "Most Wanted Terrorist", for years in Abbottabad, near its top military academy. It added that the 2011 US raid did not just track down a terrorist in Pakistan but exposed a state "built on duplicity".
Stressing that Pakistan's duplicity persists at home, the report said that blasphemy laws and mob violence continue to terrorise Christians, Hindus, Ahmadis, and Shia. It added that Islamabad now wants a role in shaping diplomacy in one of the world's most volatile regions.
"This is the same country that never signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and whose network sold centrifuge technology and bomb-making know-how to Iran, North Korea, and Libya. It now seeks influence in diplomacy involving Israel, a state Pakistan refuses to recognise and has long treated as illegitimate," the report noted.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As someone who follows international affairs closely, I find the Counterpoint report quite balanced. The bit about Abbottabad—hiding Bin Laden for years while taking US aid—is the most damning. You can't be a credible diplomatic actor when your state has 'duplicity' as its operating principle. The UN and Western powers need to be much more cautious here.
Yaar, itna sach bolne ka kya fayda when the world knows all this already? 🤷♂️ Pakistan wants to be a 'diplomatic broker' but internally they target minorities—Christians, Hindus, Ahmadis—with blasphemy laws. You can't project strength abroad when you're unstable at home. India should be the natural regional voice, not them.
While I agree with the critique of Pakistan's history of treaty violations, I think the report could have acknowledged that India too has its own complex track record in the region. But overall, the point stands: any negotiation involving Pakistan requires 'hard verification' and cautious optimism at best. The Kargil betrayal was unforgivable.
This report is a wake-up call for the international community. Pakistan wants to mediate between Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Israel, but they don't even recognize Israel! How can you broker peace with a country you treat as illegitimate? Plus, their internal human rights record with minorities is shameful. Diplomacy needs credibility, not convenience.
Interesting perspective from Counterpoint. The genocide in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) is often overlooked—h
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