As the world stares at a potential third World War amid the ongoing military conflict raging in Ukraine, two opposing superpowers – United States (US) and Russia — are standing with India as allies, wrote Shahzad Chaudhry, a political, security and defence analyst from Pakistan, in an op-ed column in Pakistan’s leading national daily, The Express Tribune, as reported by ANI. “If this isn’t a diplomatic coup, what is," he asked.
Pakistan is a major non-NATO ally of the US. However, amid China’s assertiveness, India-US bilateral relations have developed into a “global strategic partnership", based on shared democratic values and increasing convergence of interests on bilateral, regional and global issues.
“India is relevant to the world, not only in its size and girth but by its footprint and what matters to the world. Russia is under American sanctions, and none can trade freely with Russia except India which buys Russian oil on preferred terms and then re-exports it to help an old patron earn dollars the indirect way. Two opposing military superpowers of the world claim India to be its ally," wrote Chaudhry.
Since the start of the Ukraine conflict, India has sought to carve a middle path between Moscow and its Western critics and has, so far, resisted Western pressure to cut its economic ties with the Kremlin.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has on several platforms articulated India’s decision to continue buying Russian oil. Recently, Jaishankar said PM Modi’s advice on the issue was to do what is best for the nation.
If you're looking at(India's)energy purchases from Russia, I'd suggest your attention should be on Europe. We buy some energy necessary for our energy security. But I suspect, looking at figures, our purchases for the month would be less than what Europe does in an afternoon: EAM pic.twitter.com/lyzwttCvtM— ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2022
“Due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, petrol prices doubled. We had pressure from where to buy the oil but Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government were of the view that we have to do what is the best for our nation," the EAM said.
Praising India, Chaudhry wrote, “If I were Henry Kissinger, I would write a treatise ‘On India’. Such has been the monumental change in India’s fortunes as a State and a player principally in Asia and broadly on the global stage."
Heaping accolades on New Delhi for a “coherent and functional polity", which Pakistan has lacked since its birth, he said, “India stands amongst the top producers in agri-products and in the IT industry. Their yields per acre in agriculture match the best in the world. And despite being a country of over 1.4 billion people, it remains a relatively steady, coherent and functional polity. Their system of governance has withstood the test of time and proved its resilience around fundamentals essential to a resolute democracy."
On Pakistan’s all-weather ally, Saudi Arabia, pivoting towards India, he said," Saudi Arabia, Pakistan’s fraternal brother, announced an investment of over 72 billion USD in India even as we beg her to invest the 7 billion promised for Pakistan."
He said India outmanoeuvred Pakistan politically by rescinding Article 370of its Constitution, in Kashmir, giving a special if not disputed status to the region. India’s expanding global footprint is all too visible, as it was invited to theG7 and is a member of the G20. It is leading a movement of the global South to represent what is critical to equitable progress in times of climate change, pandemics, and technology intrusion. It has a blueprint for establishing its own domain on the foreign policy front and sticks to it assiduously.
He further advised Pakistan to “recalibrate its policy on India" by “breaking away from convention" to “turn geo-economics into a strategy" or else Pakistan “may be reduced to the footnote of history."
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