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Pakistan preferred to stay neutral and abstained from voting when the United Nations General Assembly overwhelming passed a resolution censuring Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and calling on Moscow to stop fighting and withdraw military forces.
The resolution is non-binding but carries immense political weightage, not just for Russia’s diplomatic isolation amid a flurry of new sanctions, but also for Pakistan which is attempting to forge new alliances after relations with Washington nose-dived in recent years.
Besides Russia, four other countries also voted against the resolution while 35 states, including Pakistan, India and China abstained. India has also been in confrontation with the West after it stood behind Russia during UN Security Council vote. India ignored calls from Ukraine and United States to condemn the invasion and has placed its diplomatic ties at stake after taking sides.
Pakistan has been on a tightrope ever since Prime Minister Imran Khan visited Moscow just as the war erupted. The foreign ministry is spreading the mantra that the prime minister regrets the conflict and stresses on finding solutions. The foreign minister, who has been spending considerable time at a political rally, has been stressing on engaging in diplomacy for a peaceful settlement.
The government wants to advocate a foreign policy of non-alignment, saying it does not want to join any bloc such as during the Cold War. However, this is a difficult task in a multi-polar world when different states have economic, military and global influence. The US has been losing its status as the strongest superpower as the disparity with China narrowed. Pakistan strengthened ties with China as it was the only country challenging the global world order.
Pakistan’s abstention at the UNGA may not have any overbearing effect but it has heightened fears of Pakistan being further isolated in the ties with United States as it moves towards Russia. Foreign envoys including European countries sent an unusual letter and urged Islamabad to condemn Russia’s action but yet, it chose to stay on the sidelines during a time of crisis.
Pakistan will have to tread carefully as it finds new friends and builds alliances. It needs to come up with a coherent stance on the conflict and other global issues rather than juggling its relations with both sides.
