TEHRAN – A senior Pakistani lecturer in the department of politics and international relations at the University of Sialkot says that world politics is shifting from the West to the East as Iran and China show resistance to America’s hegemony.

“World politics is moving from the West to the East,” Muhammad Tanvir Khan tells the Tehran Times. 

Tanvir Khan believes that the foundations of the new order are established. 

“There is growing talk that an anti-Western alternative order may replace this dual purpose and hypocritical Western world order, and the countries that will lead the establishment of such an order will be Eastern bloc countries,” he argues.
Following is the text of the interview:

Q: How do you evaluate the performance of the new government in Pakistan? Do you see a meaningful change?

A: The coalition government's recent electoral losses and a Supreme Court ruling that halted its efforts to retain control of the post of Punjab chief minister have led the Muslim League-N to regain control of the country's largest province. While it leads the federal government, the PML-N does not control any of the country's four provinces and relies heavily on allies for its meager three-seat effective margin in the National Assembly. So far, the coalition leadership is publicly committed to serving out its term next summer. However, it could quickly fall apart if one of the parties in the coalition chooses to withdraw its support.

 “China and Iran are showing signs of resistance not only to American power but to the current world order, which fails to question states like the United States and Israel when they break the rules and violate international law.” As for as the performance of this coalition government is concerned, they are accepting tough International Monetary Fund (IMF) conditions, record inflation, energy crisis, stalled economic activities besides big tax breaks to favorites. The PDM government broke all records of inflation. 21.2 percent CPI Inflation was recorded in July, the highest in 14 years. The increase in petrol and diesel prices will affect the prices of public transport, agricultural tube wells, tractors, food items, and essential commodities as the prices of all daily commodities have increased by 30 to 50 percent. So far, this new government is moving the country into a new height of inflation, chaos and disorder in the society.

Q: What is Pakistan's stance towards the Taliban in Afghanistan? cooperation or tension?

A: Historically, the policymakers in Pakistan have a soft corner for the Afghan Taliban. Islamabad has backed the Taliban for years. But, after the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, more problems than solutions have been created for Pakistan. Since August 2021, the TTP has been conducting operations along the Pak-Afghan border, often against Pakistani security forces. Apart from this, there is political instability in Pakistan which is having negative effects on the economy of Pakistan. There is no strong indication that Pakistan is ready to take action against the Taliban. This may be due to ideological inertia in seeing the Taliban as the safest challenge to Indian influence in Afghanistan. It may also be due to the lack of a viable political alternative to support the Taliban in place. Whatever the motive, the bottom line is that the Taliban are unwilling to act against the TTP in any meaningful way. Therefore, it is important for the Pakistani leadership to sit together and discuss the challenges through a strategic vision based on cooperation where the sovereignty and integrity of the state is ensured and its economic and strategic interests are protected regionally and globally.

 Q: Pakistan is known to bet on the U.S. more than other powers.  Do you think the new government is following policies that are more aligned with America's wishes or it would return to China as a strategic partner?

A: A politically unstable and economically weak Pakistan is suitable for the U.S. to achieve its strategic objectives. In fact, Pakistan is envisioned as a linchpin in U.S. regional strategy for South and Central Asia. The main reason for the ouster of Imran Khan's government was to pursue an independent foreign policy and move towards regional alliances with China and Russia. Four months into this new government, it seems that the balancing policy of the previous government has now shifted towards the United States. In my opinion, instead of pursuing an independent foreign policy, the new government is pursuing policies that are more in line with the wishes of the United States.

Q: How do you see Pakistan-India ties in the new government?

A: The new government consists of eleven parties. The main objective of the coalition government coming to power is to create a political vacuum and withdraw the cases filed against it and withdraw the electoral amendments to the constitution. So basically the objectives are national political interests. As far as relations with India are concerned, there is strong public sentiment for Kashmir. No party in the coalition government will dare to develop relations with India ignoring public pressure and sentiment. So, the new government, like the previous one, will find it difficult to move forward in improving ties with India, until concerns on Kashmir are addressed by India. 

Q: Do you expect Iran, Pakistan, and China to form an economic alliance in the region?

A: World politics is moving from the West to the East. China and Iran are showing signs of resistance not only to American power but to the current world order, which fails to question states like the United States and Israel when they break the rules and violate international law. The foundations of this order are established. There is growing talk that an anti-Western alternative order may replace this dual purpose and hypocritical Western world order, and the countries that will lead the establishment of such an order will be eastern bloc countries.

Pakistan, China, and Iran are situated in the same region brimming with natural resources, blessed with geographic significance, and endowed with massive economic potential. The prospects of trilateral cooperation are bright as apart from being geographically contiguous to one another, their strategic and economic interests also overlap. Economic initiatives of regional connectivity, being channelized mainly by China in this part of the world, are in total collaboration with Pakistan and Iran’s respective economic and foreign policies in the region. Therefore, in my opinion, China, Pakistan, and Iran have a natural alliance and it should be based on economic and political interests.