EDITORIAL:

Mending Pakistan’s ties with Russia: the need of the hour

In an ever-changing global landscape, forging a stronger alliance with Russia is the need of the hour for Pakistan

IT IS NOT UNFAIR to say that we have had rocky relations with the Russians. The foreign minister of Russia hasn’t shied away from pointing this out either—in a video address to Pakistanis, Sergey Lavrov had noted that, in spite of “tensions in Afghanistan in the 1980s,” Pakistan and the preceding Soviet Union had worked in close collaboration with each other. The arrival of over 45,000 metric tonnes of Russian crude oil at the Karachi Port marks a significant milestone in these relations—perhaps, a building of trust, at long last, between Islamabad and Moscow. And while this has quickly become a cause célèbre across the Republic, it should have happened long ago.

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India has been importing Russian oil at a grand scale for years. 9.6 billion litres of Russian oil were consumed by the Indian population in 2022 alone; in 2021, this figure stood at 1.92 billion litres. India, quite obviously, does not shy away from dealing with the Russians when they must—why should Pakistan? The former president and prime minister of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, had attempted to repair such stained relations in a visit to the Soviet Union in the early 1970s, with what was seen as major success for us in the Eastern bloc until the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Our political affiliations have only tarnished our legacy on the world stage. By collaborating with the United States during the Soviet-Afghan War and breeding the Mujahideen into the legions of warfare, we have only done ourselves more harm than good in the long-term.

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It is essential that a pragmatic approach is taken in shaping Pakistan’s foreign policy. Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari seems to be accomplishing this; the foreign minister is surfing the tides of diplomacy as we speak, and prime minister Shehbaz Sharif maintains that this is the beginning of a “new relationship between Pakistan and [the] Russian Federation.” The world is evolving, and Pakistan must adapt accordingly. The geopolitical landscape has shifted, and maintaining a narrow perspective will only limit Pakistan’s potential for growth and development. By embracing a more diversified and inclusive approach, Pakistan can leverage its strategic location and engage with various countries, including Russia, to maximise its economic and political interests. Perhaps it is high-time we fraternised with the Russians.

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