Foreign policy of a state reflects its internal make up, values and goals, which determines how it deals with limitations and opportunities provided by its external environment. External environment, for the purposes of narrowing one's area of study, if nothing else is divided into regional and global arenas. The region or regions a state is part of will play very deterministic role in its global status, policies and attitudes. Pakistan is located at the juncture of three very important strategic regions, South Asia, West Asia and Central Asia. Its relations with states of one region have a direct bearing on its relations and status in the other two. South Asia, generally, and India specifically, has undoubtedly played a more significant role in determining its relations with the outside world.

It has been mainly the perceptions of security threats emanating from India that had driven her to the American fold in the early days of its existence. The same consideration drove Pakistan towards the Larger West Asia, consisting of the whole of Middle East, Iran, Turkey and Afghanistan in the seventies. Pakistan's Afghan policy before during and after the 80s reflects the same sense of insecurity percieved from its South. The emergence of Central Asia has provided new avenues for her search for security. How Pakistan handles this environment? what are the weaknesses if any in its foreign policy? What are the various foreign policy alternatives available to her? Are some basic questions that have generated popular interest

In a democratic society the people are suppose to control and determine the main contours of any policy A better understanding of foreign policy by the society is a prerequisite for democratic control of governance The best way for public education is open and educated debate In all developed democratic societies it is expected of their institutions of higher learning to be such forums It was the realization of this function that the Department of International Relations decided to hold a conference on this subject The welcome support from Hanns Siedel Foundation made it possible for the4 department to realize its idea

The purpose of Conference is to highlight an issue from different angles. To provide a forum for conferring to different experts, generate a debate and thus develop a better understanding of the issue under focus. The Department of International Relations, University of Peshawar in collaboration with Hanns Seidel Foundation, Islamabad, held a conference on Pakistan Foreign Policy, Regional Perspective; A critique on 10-11 May 1999. It brought together a mix of policy practitioners and academics from all over the country. Thus an attempt to bridge the gap between theory and practice was made. The active participation of the post graduate students of the department, who, besides raising questions during the plenaries, formed groups to discuss to discuss among themselves, that they had learned from them and presented their views in the final session of the Conference.

The Conference was structured into six sessions, including the inaugural and the concluding sessions. First plenary session focussed on the Foreign Policy Making of Pakistan. This was followed by three sessions, focussing on South Asia, Central Asia and West Asia each. The conference was inaugurated by the by the Chancellor University of Peshawar, Lt. Gen. (Retd) Arif Bangash. He in his inaugural remarks showed his appreciation of the Department of International Relations, Peshawar University in organizing this conference on a vital area of policy making. The Vice Chancellor highlighted the significance of a better understanding of foreign policy. Dr. Ross Massood Hussain presented welcome address on behalf of Dr. Hein Kiesling, Resident Director of Hanns Siedel Foundation. Earlier Ms. Nasreen Ghufran, Chairperson Department of International Relations, while welcoming the Chancellor and other guests, emphasized the need for a continuous re-evaluation and re-formulation of Pakistan's foreign policy. In the concluding session the three student working groups presented their reports. Dr. Ross Massood presented a very comprehensive and lucid report of the Conference. Miss Nasreen Ghufran and Dr. Heins Kiessling thanked the participants.

The practitioners included Mr. Agha Shahi, the former foreign minister, Mr. Niaz A. Naik, Dr. Tanvir Ahmad Khan both former Foreign Secretaries, Ambassador (Retd) Maqbool A. Batty, Gen. (Retd) Kamal Matinuddin, author of many articles and books, specially on Afghanistan, Dr. Ayesha Siddiqua Agha, Director Naval Research Islamabad, Ambassadors (Retd) Mufti Abbas and Bashir Babar. While the academic side brought together Dr. Mahtab Ali Shah, Sindh University Jamshoro, Dr. Riffat Hussain, Qauid-e-Azam University Islamabad, Dr. Khalida Ghaus, University of Karachi, Dr. Azmat Hayat Khan and Dr. Sarfraz Khan from Area Study Centre Peshawar University (Russia and Central Asia), Mr Adnan Sarwar Khan, Mr. Husain Shaheed Suharwardy, Mr. M. Tayyab Khan from the Department of International Relations, Peshawar University and myself.

The first plenary session focused on the decision making process of Pakistan's foreign policy, was presided by Ambassador (rtd) Dr Tanvir Ahmad Khan. Mr Agha Shahi and myself presented the only two papers of the session Mr. Agha Shahi informed the audience about the manner in which some of the decisions to which he was privy, including the policy of responding to the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, were taken. He defended and highlighted the role of the Foreign Office in the decision making process. Unfortunately he did not give a written paper This is regrettable as the presence of his paper in the published proceedings would have made the view of a very competent and articulate practitioner of foreign policy available to readers and thus would have given a good balance to the collection. I, in my presedntation pointed out the lack of institutionalization and absence of any system of independent inputs in Pakistan's decision making system. I elaborated my point with refernce to the continued controlling role of armed forces in the decision making process, specially when it comes to India and Afghanistan. The civil bureucracy taking the second seat, while political leadership having not much to do with it. I further emphasized the need for an educated and well informed citinznry and political leadership if democratic control of the policy making process was to be exercised in any meaningful manner.

The second plenary focussed on South Asia, was presided by Ambassador (Retd) Bashir Babar. Mr. M. Tayyab Khan, while presenting his paper on Pakistan's security policy: A Post Nuclear Phase, stressed that Pakistan should adopt a symmetrical and a balanced approach , keeping the external, internal and economic dimensions of security by developing a Command and Control system, an Information War Force along with the economic uplift of the country.

Dr. Mehtab Ali Shah highlighted the internal contradictions and influences on Pakistan's relations with India as well as the impact of the Pakistan's India policy on her domestic politics, highlighting the need for continuing the process of normalizing relations between the two neighbors. He propsed the demilirizationo of Kashmir followed by after five years with a confederation between India Pakistan and Kashmir and possibly Bangla Desh as the only way for the perrenial situation of conflict in the subcontinent Dr. Aysah Saddiqua, highlighted the heavy economic costs of confrontation with India and the resultant arms race, both conventional and non-conventional. She considered it imperative for the political leadership of both the countries to take thwe region out of the arms race Hussain Shaheed stressed that the concept of security should be changed by development of human resources rather than developing Nuclear Weapons.

The third plenary focussed on Central Asia and was presided by Dr Azmat Hayat Khan Director Area Study Centre (Central Asia and Russia) University of Peshawar. In well researched paper the Gen. Kamal Matin-uddin narrated the historical evolution of Pakistan-Afghan relations with expert analysis advised a change from the role of king maker to peace maker in Afghanistan Mr Adnan Sarwar Khan considered Pakistan's foreign policy on Afghanistan to be the best reflection of her national interests. Dr Riffat Hussain criticized Pakistan policy towards the Central Asian Republics. He expressed a need for the well defined and consistence policy towards CARs. Dr Sarfaraz from Area study centre Peshawar university deplored the country Afghan policy and said that civil war in Afghanistan has affected the Pakistani society adversely. He asked for urgent and durable solution of the problem.

The fourth plenary brought under debate Pakistan's relations with West Asia Ambassador (rtd) Mufti Abbas presided the session Dr. Maqbool Bhatty pointed out that after China, Muslim neighbors have top priority. Due to Afghanistan crisis, Iran has assumed a critical importance. He emphasized that despite various factors of disagreement s cultural and historical links bind them together. Dr. Khalida Ghaus was critical of Pakistan's foreign policy regarding West Asia and emphasized that more importance should be given to the region.

The three Students groups presented their findings in the concluding session. They highlighted the need for a vigorous foreign policy initiatives, vis-à-vis all the three regions. They emphasized the need for peace in South Asia, and Afghanistan.

The conference, first of its kind by the department of International Relations, University of Peshawar, showed the positive results of teamwork. Although, I was the coordinator and Shahid Khattak was the assistant coordinator, but the credit for the organization goes to the whole department, including the students. Specially our M. Phil student Miss Abida Hussain and M. A students Mustafa Amin, Shahan Abbas and Tauqeer deserves to be pointed out for their untiring and uncomplaining help. The department is also grateful to the Hanns Seidel Foundation, Islamabad for their support. The quite and unimposing manner in which Miss Nasreen Ghufran, the Chairperson, of the department played her part also must be acknowledged. Shahid Khattak's patience and sense of responsibility contributed positively to this very first major event organized by the department.

Ijaz Khan

Assistant Professor

Department of International Relations

University of Peshawar