SPOTLIGHT
PAKISTAN
FOREIGN POLICY CONSIDERATIONS OF THE IMRAN KHAN GOVERNMENT
BY SARRAL SHARMA *
If judged by his inaugural address on 19 August 2018 , Pakistan ' s newly elected Prime Minister Imran Khan is likely to focus more on domestic issues to fulfil his election promises . This is despite the fact that the country faces international isolation and multi-pronged foreign policy challenges .
Whether it is repairing deteriorating relations with the United States ( US ), emboldening ties with China or managing tensions with India and Afghanistan , Khan ’ s ability to steer foreign policy will depend on his relations with the country ' s powerful military establishment which has historically set Islamabad ' s course on international and regional affairs . Therefore , we will not see any major differences between the Khan government ' s foreign policy priorities and that of the previous Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz ( PML-N ) dispensation .
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ( PTI ) government has taken power amid a complex geopolitical environment : the US is getting desperate to get out of Afghanistan ; Iran ' s Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ( JCPOA ) quagmire ; persistent instability in the Middleeast region ; China ' s growing economic footprints across the region ; placement of Pakistan on the Financial Action Task Force ' s ( FATF ) ' grey ' list , among others .
Khan ' s government will find it difficult to deal with these complex foreign policy issues
28 • Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 6 • Issue 9 • September 2018 , Noida