Pakistan's Search for Peace with Afghanistan - Statecraft, Policy, and Strategy

1. General. Pakistan’s Post-Cold War policy towards Afghanistan has not yielded any positive outcome despite colossal efforts and enormous sacrifices. Geographically sandwiched between India on its east and Afghanistan on its west, has created a challenging neighbourhood, which also has a profound negative impact on Pakistan’s domestic and external dynamics. Its Afghan policy has not contributed towards building friendly relations with Afghanistan despite numerous sacrifices including hosting of almost 3 million refugees for last 40 years. Most ironically, Pakistan has remained   discredited in the eyes of successive Afghan Governments and Afghan society. Why Pakistan’s policy remained less efficacious, makes the critical study of Pakistan’s Afghan policy a subject of interest from the perspective of diplomacy and foreign relations.

2. Book’s Focus. Focus of the Book is Pakistan’s Post-Cold War policy towards Afghanistan and covers its policy till 15th August 2021 that is the final pull of US from Afghanistan. Why Pakistan’s policy remained less efficacious, makes the critical study of Pakistan’s Afghan policy a subject of interest from the perspective of diplomacy and foreign relations. It deliberates through a well-researched approach why Pakistan’s Policy could not lead to peace with its western neighbour. The Book in its final chapter makes wholesome suggestions for the way forward for Pakistan.

3. Outline of the Book. The Book comprises three distinct parts including firstly the ‘Evolution and Descriptive Part’ that is the historical perspective of Afghan policy of Pakistan. Secondly, the ‘Analytical Part’ which dilates in detail by taking a critical view of the ‘Evolution and Descriptive Part’ and its analyses in depth, the post 9/11 Pakistan’s policy and why it has led to adversarial relations. Analyses are done, utilising theoretical framework of Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye’s ‘Power and Interdependence’. Finally, the ‘Prescriptive Part’ to lay down comprehensive guidelines of future policy.

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A scholar of global politics with a life-long passion for learning and education, Dr Zahid Latif has had a distinguished and versatile academic and professional career that includes but is not limited to: four master’s degrees (political science, history, defence and strategic studies, and war studies); an MPhil degree with the Chancellor’s Gold Medal; a doctorate in diplomacy from the world-class Peking University; faculty position at National Defence University – Pakistan; senior position in Pakistan’s bureaucracy as Federal Secretary (Defence Production); and military commander as Pakistan Army’s Lieutenant General (retired).

As a peripatetic expert, the author has lectured at American, British, and Chinese universities and think tanks and has remained associated with Chinese universities as a professor and researcher, including senior fellowship of the prestigious Tsinghua Institute, Beijing. His writings have been published in various research journals.

The author’s research interests include South Asia’s peace and conflict dynamics, Pak-Afghan relations, Pakistan’s foreign policy, CPEC, security strategy, and conflict resolution.

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