CHALLENGES TO SOVEREIGNTY

When Pakistan emerged as a new state on the map of the world 74

years ago, sovereignty was not the issue. With the passage of time, it
appeared that freedom to make and implement decisions by the
state of Pakistan was gradually being compromised. Steady
economic and military dependence on the West, particularly the
United States, made Pakistan incapable to protect its national
interest and national security from foreign influence and
interference.
In 2021, Pakistan is the world’s fifth most populated country and the
only state in the Muslim world with nuclear weapons, yet its capability
to assert its position and guard its sovereignty from external threats is
limited.
According to the Penguin Dictionary of International Relations,
“Sovereignty is often regarded as enabling concept of international
relations where states assert not only ultimate authority within a distinct
territorial entity but also assert membership of the international
community. The doctrine of sovereignty implies a double claim:
autonomy in foreign policy and exclusive competence in internal
affairs.” Sovereignty is however compromised when the state is
dependent either on global financial institutions for loans or relies on
financial assistance from various states. Pakistan’s sovereignty
predicament is getting serious with each passing day. Two major sources
of financial dependence of Pakistan to meet its budget deficit and
arrange funds for development are: World Bank, IMF, Asian
Development Bank and funds from China under CPEC. Borrowing from
the governments of China, Saudi Arabia and the UAE also deepened
Pakistan’s vulnerability in resisting foreign pressures
Sovereignty is a double-edged sword because it stresses on the country’s
independence on making and implementing decisions, and on how a
state has to compromise on its ability to take a stand on issues which
runs contrary to the interest of donor institutions and states. Seventy-four
years after gaining independence, Pakistan’s nightmare is submission of
its sovereignty to foreign institutions and powers who may dictate terms
against financial assistance. When 50% of Pakistan’s GDP is under
foreign debt and in order to pay interest on more than 100 billion dollars
of foreign debt, Pakistan has to take more loans — something which
means mortgaging state assets for money. This vicious debt trap is a
major reason behind the erosion of our sovereignty.
One can figure out three major dimensions of how the sovereignty of
Pakistan has been compromised and why the country has not been able
to act independently on issues which are critical in nature.
First, in real politic, there is no such thing as free lunch. Donors always
have an upper hand on the recipient state which is the case with
Pakistan. A country’s sovereignty is fragile and is compromised when it
is on dole. Economic space comes when the country is strong in its
exports, foreign exchange reserves, value of its currency, per capita
income and economic growth rate. Unfortunately, Pakistan’s economy
has remained import-driven and devoid of self-reliance. When
Pakistan’s federal budget is announced, statistics indicate that more than
two-thirds of revenue is consumed for debt-servicing and for meeting
defence expenditures. The remaining one-third is used to pay amount to
provinces as it is conditional according to the 18thconstitutional
amendment. As a result, in order to run the country’s administration and
launch development programmes, Pakistan has to borrow from internal
and external sources. Pakistan’s total public debt is around $200 billion
which is augmenting with each passing day. If the IMF dictates
enhancing power and gas tariffs and oil prices and ending subsidies, the
outcome is enormous escalation in prices of essential commodities.
Sovereignty of Pakistan is compromised when the state is unable to say
no on matters detrimental to the country’s national interests. Otherwise,
the government would have resisted conditions imposed by the FAFT
under the cover of controlling money laundering. No sovereign state will
accept such conditions unless it is economically weak and politically
fragile. Sovereignty of Pakistan is coerced from two sides: Multilateral
financial institutes and donor states and FATF.
Second, there is a history of the erosion of Pakistan’s sovereignty. Ten
years ago, three back-to-back events seriously undermined the
sovereignty of Pakistan. In January 2011, Raymond Davis, an American
CIA contractor, was arrested from Lahore on charges of killing two
Pakistani citizens and was sent to prison on judicial remand. The case
was filed in a court and the trial began. In the meantime, then US
secretary of state Hillary Clinton approached the Pakistan government
for his release but since it was a murder case and Davis had no
diplomatic immunity it was very difficult to release him. But, in March
2011, Davis was released by staging a drama of paying blood money to
the heirs of the two people killed by him — something that poorly
reflected on the sovereignty of Pakistan which came under pressure from
Washington to release an American national who was under trial in a
murder case. The second event which highly undermined the
sovereignty of Pakistan was ‘Operation Gerimino’ of May 2, 2011 when
US navy seals in two helicopters sneaked into the territory of Pakistan,
reached a compound in the garrison city of Abbottabad, and killed
Osama bin Laden, who as an international terrorist with a head money of
$50 million. Violating the airspace of Pakistan and launching an
operation 200 kilometers inside the territory of a sovereign country led
to an outrage but nothing happened. The third incident, which exposed
Pakistan’s sovereignty, took place in November 2011 when US forces
deployed on Pak-Afghan border opened fire on Pakistani forces and
killed more than two dozen soldiers. In retaliation, Pakistan temporarily
suspended Nato supplies but took no concrete step to prevent similar
acts, like drone attacks on its tribal areas.
Third, in prevailing circumstances in Afghanistan, Pakistan has refused
to provide logistical support and bases to the US to launch its air
operations against the advancing Taliban forces. But the US air raids in
Afghanistan against Taliban fighters continue to violate air sovereignty
of Pakistan. The government of Prime Minister Imran Khan may claim
that it is sovereign and doesn’t come into pressure from any quarter but
the reality on the ground is different. Respect of a country is granted
when its sovereignty is intact and is not subservient to foreign dictates.