Abstract
Political fragility of Pakistan has been an epicentre of many a troubles in the South Asian region and therefore seeks attention of many political scientists, strategic affairs analysts and the like in India and elsewhere. Consolidation of democracy and keeping it out of the clutches of the military forces is a matter of concern for all her neighbours. India, for obvious reasons, takes deeper interest in the political wellbeing of Pakistan and also her relations—strategic and economic—with other powers in the world.
The title India, Europe and Pakistan makes one wonder about the content and the intent of the book as it does not provide any indicative direction to the theme. The preface written by the editor provides a good entry point to the book, uncovering the gist of each chapter and the focus of the book. Undoubtedly the editor has a clear vision in putting themes in order and so his thoughts in this edited volumes.
If the first chapter introduces Pakistan in all its encounters with self and the outside world, the very second and fourth chapter bring in European Union (EU)’s engagement with Pakistan. Though a small one, the third chapter lies at the heart of the book discussing Kashmir in India–EU relations, which brings the very idea of the book to the fore. Subsequent chapters bring out Pakistan’s relations with the UK, Germany, France and Central Europe and provide depth to discussions. A couple of chapters on Pakistani diaspora in the UK and Scandinavia give glimpses of its people and their encounters in the other side of the world. They bring out the sociological perspectives to geo-political and geo-economic realities.
A solid 50-page first chapter, probably the longest one in the book by Ajay Darshan Behera, sets the tone for the book by detailing Pakistan’s troubles and their impact on self and neighbourhood. Locating Pakistan in the Fragile State Index where it stands 13th, he goes on identify the structural fault lines and policy failures that have contributed to the situation. According to him, it is time Pakistan wakes up and focuses on geo-economic factors than geo-political to make any progress. He writes, the terrorism challenge in Pakistan is serious and existential. It cannot be tackled by simple law and order measures as the NAP seeks to do. It would require a complete overhauling of the state itself. The counter-terrorism policy which relies on the use of excessive force is likely to result in more short-term instability, before there is a turnaround in the situation. A robust political process, good governance and an economic makeover are critical for Pakistani State to roll back radicalisation and militancy (p. 39).
Stefano Gatto, the former Deputy Head of Delegation of European Union to Pakistan (2014–2015), presents the ups and downs in the EU–Pakistan relation- ship also delineating the reasons for the ensuing actions. Though EU has and expresses its discomfort with the human rights records in Pakistan with raising concerns about death penalty and its execution, it has provided support on humanitarian grounds under Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP) Plus after 2010 floods making Pakistani products duty free in the EU markets. He also says that Pakistan accords EU a special position whereas India considers EU as only an economic actor without conferring any strategic importance. No wonder, Pakistan continues to receive increased developmental cooperation fund from EU of 635 million EUR in the period 2014–2020. He examines the ambivalent US–Pakistan relations as being a reason for Pakistan’s seeking EU support, as the dependable ‘West’ that is considerate of Islam.
The German political scientist Hartmut Elsenhans begins by saying EU–Pakistan relation is a non-event. He also brings out the asymmetry in relation between the two with Pakistan being insignificant for Brussels, whereas for Pakistan, EU is of both strategic and economic importance. Pakistan generally tries to compare EU’s relation with India and aspires to outstrip it without success. He goes on to say, shifting of Pakistan’s foreign policy cannot go without a resolute effort for economic development. Achieving freedom for Kashmir has been the initial founding myth. Under the actual conditions of international system, any myth capable of rallying a new coalition in Pakistan cannot be based on external glory. It has to be internal (p. 77).
The chapter titled ‘Decline of Kashmir in India–EU Relations’ speaks about the matter of contention between India, Pakistan and EU about the Kashmir issue and also about the process of finding a consensus. EU, with its post-modern systems, insists on conflict resolution often citing the historic rivalry between France and Germany as a model for India and Pakistan to emulate in overcoming challenges. However, India, a post-colonial state in the ‘advanced stage of nation building’, is touchy about its sovereignty and protects it dearly. For India, dialogue with Pakistan on Kashmir is one among many instruments that can be turned on and off depending on circumstances, whereas for EU, dialogue is a constant and consistent effort that must never be removed from any conflict-resolution equation. He says, for EU, calling for such a dialogue was a minimum requirement for trying to resolve one of the world’s major international flashpoints. For New Delhi, it was a move that would undermine its long-standing diplomatic strategy of keeping only two seats at any Kashmir talks (pp. 59–60).
The chapter also deals with the voicing of EU parliament’s opinions on human rights violation in Kashmir by Indian armed forces at the behest of some MEPs from UK of Pakistan origin. However, of late, India and EU have come to terms with each other on this issue with EU expressing its views now and then on human rights scenario in Kashmir, regular visits of EU officials on fact-finding missions to Kashmir that India wilfully facilitates, and EU providing humanitarian and development aid to Pakistan. Author of the chapter, Pramit Pal Chaudhary, elucidates the changing scenario of India–EU reflections on Kashmir with public statement by EU Ambassadors’ delegation in 2009 that Kashmir is an ‘integral part’ of India and how that has declined the importance of Kashmir as a contentious issue in India–EU relations.
The editor of the book, a Jean Monnet Chair in European Studies, focuses mainly on Europe’s softer approach of building democracy as an external policy and evaluates it in the South Asian region. He says that EU and its member states intrinsically link democracy with governance, human rights and civil society support. Detailing the EU instruments for democracy promotion, the author highlights the insistence of EU on political dialogue and adopting of strategic approach with European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR). The chapter details election observation mission outcomes of EU in Pakistan at different time intervals. Though very few changes have been brought out in the electoral processes in Pakistan due to EU’s EOM’s recommendations, Pakistan perceives EU as a credible and meaningful partner in consolidating democracy.
The next three chapters look at Pakistan’s relations with the UK, France, Germany and Central Europe. B. Krishnamurthy traces the history of Pakistan’s relation with the UK and also Commonwealth being in and out of it. He also speaks about British Muslims and British Pakistanis and their political activism in the UK and also the resounding of their views through European Parliament every now and then. He says presence of a large number of Pakistanis in the UK makes relationship between the two more complex and multidimensional.
Sheetal Sharma takes this idea further in her chapter on Pakistani diaspora in the UK providing a sociological perspective. Beginning with the history of migration from Pakistan to UK, she builds on the socio-economic conditions of Pakistani communities in the UK and their struggle for identities caught between the host and home cultures with religion and its perception playing a pivotal role in deciding their integrations scores vis-à-vis other immigrant communities in the UK. Political participation of the Pakistani diaspora and the role of civil society organisations is dealt with as well.
These two chapters put together offer a well-rounded understanding of Pakistan’s relation with the UK and Commonwealth.
Jean-Luc Racine, an expert on India and Pakistan traces Pakistan’s relation with France and says how from defence relationship it has moved more towards development and countering ramifications of terrorist challenge. He also sees it in light of increasing and visible French visit to India and their enhanced engagement. He writes, in the perspective of Paris, the old Pakistani quest for parity with India appears less and less valid, and is even counterproductive. The dialogue conducted with Islamabad therefore tries to underline that a revision of Pakistan’s strategic paradigm would benefit the country (p. 151).
Christian Wagner’s chapter on Pakistan’s relation with the Federal Republic of Germany discusses all facets of cooperation between the two—political, economic, trade and development, and cultural and educational. Though there have been efforts to build cultural connects between the two with translations of works of Muhammed Iqbal, Pakistan’s national poet into German and establishment of Deutsch–Pakistanische Gesellschaft in Germany, he says, there are matters of divergence when it comes to India’s seeking UNSC seat and the support of group of four to this, and the idea of International Criminal Court.
The South Asia expert from Poland, Patryk Kugiel, is more futuristic in the sense of identifying potential areas of cooperation between the two regions. The chapter provides a peep into the relationship of Pakistan with the five post-communist states of Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. However, what emerges out of his quest for understanding the relation between the two is the fact that it is time to focus on economic cooperation and to be followed by the rest.
Multiculturalism as an idea of accommodation and celebration of differences has come to be questioned if not fully abandoned in some European countries. There has been a steady shift in thought in favour of interculturalism with an emphasis on integration that carefully draws out its differences with assimilation though not satisfactorily. Bhaswati Sarkar treads this path carefully trying to understand the anxieties of the Pakistani population in Scandinavian countries. Religion, being at the crux of the identity of this diaspora, poses innumerable challenges to both the guests and the hosts, and this struggle of majority and minority in identifying a common ground for understanding is brought out in this chapter. She concludes by saying, voices of moderation on both sides find themselves cornered and sidelined as extreme views find easy way in media representations and connect with the majority, which build rather than break stereotypes (p. 260).
Shanthie Mariet D’Souza’s paper observes a transformation of NATO– Pakistan relationship that is not necessarily a long-term strategic concept or global partnership but self-limiting for being transactional in nature. Pakistan’s control of supply and logistical routes to Afghanistan being the only reason for this alliance makes it a weak, need based and transactional.
The senior oil and gas analyst Rajeev Lala writes about the EU’s energy relations with Pakistan. He outlines how it is a win-win situation and a game changer for Pakistan if GSP Plus is leveraged by EU oil and gas giants actively engaging in Pakistani energy sector.
The book certainly provides engrossing observations on Pakistan’s multi- faceted relationship with EU on diverse fronts–geo-political, geo-economic and sociological. The perspectives of different authors reveal how this intertwining of issues needs an enlightened approach to understand the dynamics of relationship. Further, the discussions on India in the context highlight the pertinent questions related to the nature of unavoidable intersections of interests the two neighbouring nations of South Asia share and how these interests play a vital role in their relationship with the world outside. The book with its range of topics and reach of issues does seem to make justice to the title: India, Europe and Pakistan.