The policy that emanates from and reflects the true desires of the people and also echoes the high expectations of the common man is the policy that will have an inherent strength to make success in the corridors of the world power game. Anything short of it without imitating national consensus, even dictated by a monarch or an individual would be laced with dangers for the survival of the nation.
We may feel an urge to promote individual desires, but national interest trumps over personal yearnings. The foreign policy is executed by the government through its foreign office at home and with its representatives stationed at the embassies in foreign countries. "Diplomacy is the brain of national power as the national morale is to its soul". The capabilities of the diplomatic force play a significant role in the propagation of power of a nation.
In fact, a close examination of the total national power will reveal to us that the finesse of diplomacy homogenises all the factors into 'an integrated whole'. History is witness that the clarity and conviction with which the diplomatic force of a nation acts during peace, equals the 'strategy and tactics' of the military during war. Superior diplomacy can get what a super army may not. According to Hans J. Morgentbau (Politics Among Nations), "It is the art of bringing the different elements of national power to bear with maximum effect upon those points in the international situation which concern national interest most directly."
Military muscle exerts power by 'compelling compliance'. We have seen that total reliance on arms and weapons, is not only counterproductive, but also leads to economic overheads.
Guns always bring warring forces to the negotiating table. Diplomacy is for exercising a potent impact through negotiations making a common cause with friends in 'pursuit of shared goals and mutual interests'. An efficient and crafty diplomat uses his intelligence, knowledge, experience, tact, and tactfulness with common sense and insight and never hesitates to resort to the 'patriotic art of telling lies' for one's country. His mind has only one ambition: safety of the republic from all 'foreign intrigues and diplomacy'.
Diplomacy puts forward the best conceivable means to decipher the ongoing complications immediately and continue efforts to resolve all outstanding impediments even saying the 'nastiest things in the nicest' words and employing utmost wisdom in the management of issues.
Today, we are confronting a situation where most of western powers, including sole superpower, are sitting next to our border. Till yesterday, we have been fighting a war to bring peace and eliminate terrorism; however, our soldiers have been killed by Nato forces headed by an American commander. Why did this unfortunate incident take place? Three aspects are worth consideration: First, the diplomatic team operating on the behalf of Pakistan in Washington, DC, misguided both countries to pursue their own mala fide intentions. Second, there was no cohesion in formulating policy between the army and the government: war left to the army and diplomacy to the government and ambassadors. Third, the common man was never taken into confidence about the efforts on the war on terror.
Pakistan is one of the most important geo-politically located country in the world. It serves as a transit gateway to land locked neighbouring countries. We may not be rich in food but we are never short of it, making us self-sufficient.
Unfortunately, however, we are not making full use of our natural resources and raw materials. We are in possession of those blessings which many countries can only dream of. We not may be at the peak of industrialisation, we have a sound base of industry capable of competing in the world market. We may not have the ideal size and quality of population yet, we have the manpower that holds the potential to excel in the global world.
What we lack is the management of our state affairs inside and outside the country. The weakest link in the chain of governance has been our diplomacy. Had we followed a better diplomacy harmonising the foreign policy with the available resources, it would have given true bite and direction to the national power to skilfully conduct our war on terror. The situation which we are confronted with today would not have been there, had we worked on the basis of long term results, not for the short terms, and considered cumulative gains. The beauty of diplomacy revolves around avoidance of conflict yet gaining in the ultimate. "Diplomacy thus refers not only state-to-state relations conducted by officials - overt or covert negotiations by individuals - in the name or interest of the state". Unfortunately, however, our diplomacy has digressed from a nationalistic approach and got confused with individualistic preferences devoid of interest of state.