Title, Pakistan’s Strategic Culture and Foreign Policy Making: A Study of Pakistan’s Post 9/11 Afghan Policy
Author Ijaz Khan
Publisher Nova Science Publishers, New York, USA
The book studies Pakistan’s Strategic Culture and Foreign Policy Decision–Making process with the help of Prof. Karl Deutsch’s Streams of Information Model and explains how and so why Pakistan made the decision to support Taliban, then why and how, in the wake of 9/11, it changed that policy, noting the difficulties it is facing as a result of the changed Afghan Policy. It is argued that Pakistan’s support for Taliban was a result of its strategic culture that had developed over years, that saw religious extremist forces as good and reliable tools of policy, more precisely its security policy. Thus all its domestic perceptions were woven around Pakistan’s establishment belief that Taliban serves Pakistan’s regional security interests best. The change resulting in abandoning of Taliban was more a result of external inputs which conflicted with its long held security perceptions which continues to be unchanged for most part. Thus one notes a growing crisis of state and society and more importantly of international credibility as long as Pakistan’s role in the ‘War against Terrorism’ is concerned as pro Taliban Policy continues to be viewed as a better option in a wide range of establishment intelligentsia, not just the religious extremists. The book ends with suggestions how and where to change Pakistan’s decision making process by changing its strategic culture, as required by Pakistan’s announced change in its Foreign/Afghan Policy. The study helps in understanding Pakistan’s role in the ‘War against Terrorism’ addressing issues of capabilities as well as willingness.
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