Neither a Hawk Nor a Dove An Insider's Account of Pakistan's Foreign Relations

by Kasuri, Khurshid Mahmud

• ISBN13: 9780199401932
• ISBN10: 0199401934
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2015-12-30
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Author Biography

Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri hails from an illustrious political family of Pakistan who played an important role in the subcontinent's Independence Movement. He was educated at the Universities of Punjab, Cambridge, and Oxford, and was called to the Bar from Grays' Inn, London.

Kasuri took active part in various political movements striving for democracy in Pakistan including the PNA (Pakistan National Alliance), MRD (Movement for Restoration of Democracy), and the PDA (Pakistan Democratic Alliance) movements. Like his father, uncle, and grandfather who were all active in the Independence Movement and for which they underwent imprisonment, Khurshid Kasuri was also incarcerated on various occasions for his political activities.

Table of Contents

Preface
1. Pakistan's Security Dilemma: Quest for Strategic Balance
Section I
The Context
Family: Opposing Influences
My Paternal Family
My Maternal Family
My Schooling-Almost An Ideological Issue with My Parents
Fane Road Residence: An Open House
Section II
Pakistan's Security Dilemmas and Quest for Strategic Balance
Early Years: Troubled Relations with India
Assessing Liaquat Ali Khan's Western Tilt
Pakistan-US Alliance: An Intricate Balancing Act
India and Afghanistan
Warming of Relations With China: 1963-1971
Independent Foreign Policy: 1972-1977
The 1974 Islamic Summit in Lahore
Revival of Pakistan-US Alliance over Afghanistan: Its Repercussions
The 1990s: Decade of Missed Opportunities
The Fallout of Nuclear Tests by India and Pakistan
Pakistan's Troubled Relations with the Soviet Union/Russia
The 9/11 and its Aftermath
Section III
Assuming Office: Some Background
Historical Distortions and Lessons
Cultural and Artistic Fusion
Fault lines in Pakistan and India
Indian Muslims
Pakistan's Geo-Strategic Significance
Pakistan's 'National Interest'
'Peace with Honour'
2. India: 'A Road Less Travelled'
Return from the Brink
The Agra Summit
Vajpayee's Second Visit to Pakistan in Five Years
The Handshake that Changed History
India-Pakistan Joint Press Statement of 6 January 2004 in Islamabad
America's Role in Pakistan-India Peace Process
Generating Momentum for Peace
Out of the Box Thinking
Natwar's Productive Visit to Islamabad
Backchannel Established
Musharraf Visits Delhi in a Carnival Atmosphere
Irreversibility of the Peace Process
Crossing the Rubicon: The Bus Service Across the LoC
The Drama of L. K. Advani's Visit to Pakistan
Kashmiri Leaders' Visit to Pakistan
Indo-Pak Showdown in New York
I Invite Natwar to Nathiagali where Ayub Khan had Invited Nehru
A Case of Good Cop/Bad Cop?
Water Disputes: A Major Threat to Peace
Why Dialogue Survived Despite 2006 Mumbai Train Bombings
A New Dynamic at Work
The Lingering Issues of Siachen and Sir Creek
3. Interrupted Symphony: Contours of Backchannel Settlement on Kashmir
Kashmir: The Evolving Positions of Pakistan and India
A New Kashmir Resolution?
Our Success in Preventing Deletion of Kashmir from the UN Agenda
The Envoys Conferences
Why the Backchannel?
Framework for a Kashmir Settlement
Contours of the Agreement on Jammu & Kashmir
Centres to Wean Militants Away Through DDR
Common Policies Towards Development
Line of Control: A Line on the Map
An Evaluation of the Possible Settlement
A Response to the Criticism Of Our Policy on Kashmir
The Way Forward
Agreements for Resolving Issues Involving Disagreements
The Media and the Peace Process
Promotion of Friendly Exchanges
Views of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Mahatma Gandhi on Friendly Relations Between India and
Narendra Modi's Victory: Its Likely Impact
4. The Pakistan Army and India: My Interactions and Observations
Pak-India Wars and Near-War Situations
Near-War Crises
Brasstacks
The Kashmir Crisis, 1990
The Kargil War
The Mumbai Attacks
My Interactions with the Pakistan Army Generals
'From North Waziristan to Karachi!'
Dixit's Bombshell!
My Relationship with President Pervez Musharraf and the and the Issue of My 'Resignation'
The Pakistan Army: An Obstacle to Peaceful Relations With India?
5. Afghanistan
Common Historic, Religious, Cultural, and Ethnic Bonds
Pashtunwali
Close People-To-People Contact
An Early Case of the Pashtun-Tajik Rivalry
The Idea of Pak-Afghan Confederation
Exchanges with Different Ethnic Leaders
Contrasting Narratives about the Security Situation in Afghanistan
My First Visit Abroad As Foreign Minister
Karzai's Inflammatory Message Prior to His Visit
Fireworks at the Aiwan-e-Sadr
Karzai Asks Me: 'Why Does Pakistan Look Down Upon The Afghans!'
Pakistan at the G-8 Conference on Afghanistan in Potsdam
Pak-Afghan Bilateral Relationship
Equitable Sharing of Common Water Resources
Pak-Afghan Economic Cooperation: Full Potential of Trade Unrealized
Pakistan is Key to Solution in Afghanistan
Recent Positive Developments
6. Pakistan and the United States: 'The Odd Couple'
Historical Perspective
Escape from Tora Bora
Seventy-Six High-Level Interactions in My First US Visit!
The Issue of National Security Entry-Exit Registration System
US Facilitation on Pak-India Dialogue
Rumsfeld Takes a Hard-line on Iraq
The US Congress Supportive
Cross-LoC Movement
Afghanistan
The Issue of Pakistani Prisoners in Guantanamo Bay in the US and in Afghanistan Raised Forcefully
Pakistan's Opposition to the War against Iraq
The A. Q. Khan Saga
Strengthening Pakistan's Nuclear Oversight
Concern about Attack on Iran
Bombing of Lebanon and Tensions with the United States
Pakistan and the United States: 'Weekday Meeting' at a 'Weekend Retreat'
Pak-US Relationship Broadened
Declaration of Pakistan as a Major Non-NATO Ally
Reimbursement of Coalition Support Funds
Economic Cooperation
Pakistan's Reaction to the Indo-US Agreement on Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy
Meeting President Bush at the Oval Office
Bush Visits Pakistan: All Lights Turned Off
A Matter of Protocol
Strategic Partnership
FATA
Peace Agreements with Militants?
Dick Cheney Visits Islamabad to Voice Concern about the Situation in Waziristan
Reforms in FATA
Drone Attacks in FATA
Pakistan: A Friend or a Foe?
How the Government Handled Lingering Negative Perceptions on Both Sides
Pakistan-US Relations: Likely to Endure Despite Problems
7. Pakistan's Diplomatic Outreach: Proactive Engagement with the World
China: Strengthening of our Strategic Relationship
Nuclear Power Plants
The Silk Route
Pak-China Economic Corridor from Gwadar to Kashgar
Chinese Experience and Lessons for Pakistan, China, and India
Human Resource Development and Educational
Reforms in China
Russia
The Complex Relations of Some Leading Muslim Countries
Saudi Arabia: A Reliable and Trusted Friend
The Gulf Region
Turkey: Special Relationship with Pakistan
Trilateral Dialogue
Iran: Old Cultural and Historic Bonds
Meeting with the Israeli Foreign Minister: A Politically Risky Enterprise
Bangladesh
The Bihari Issue
Improving Relations with Britain
The Commonwealth: 'A Club of Former Slaves!'
The European Union
Japan
The International Community's Heart-Warming Response Following the Earthquake
8. The Foreign Office
Section I
Does the Foreign Office Formulate Foreign Policy
Historical Perspective
Pakistani Diplomats
The Golden Age of the United Nations
The Coordinating Role of the Foreign Office in the 1960s
Active Role of the Foreign Office in the Opening-up of Relations towards China
Pakistan without a Foreign Minister during the 1971War
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto: A Deep Imprint on the Foreign Policy of Pakistan
Revival of the Active Role of the Foreign Office, 1972-1977
The Afghan Jihad and Decline in the Role of Foreign Office
A Period of 'Systemic Failure'
The 'Palestine Initiative:' Go Slow Approach Adopted
The Role of the Foreign Office After 9/11
Invaluable Role of the Foreign Office in
Ensuring Civil-Nuclear Cooperation with China
Indispensable Work of the Foreign Office
The Foreign Office and the 'Backchannel' on Kashmir
Need for a High-Level Inter-Ministerial Coordination Committee
An Effective Foreign Office Team
Periodic Consultations with Former Foreign Secretaries and Others
The Growing Importance of Women Foreign Service Officers
Misperceptions about the Quality of Life of Pakistani Diplomats
Section II
The Role of Personal Relationship in Diplomacy
Media and Public Diplomacy
Index