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Abstract
This article examines the role of Islam as a factor in shaping Pakistan's foreign policy towards the newly independent, Muslim-majority Central Asian Republics (CARs) following the collapse of the Soviet Union. It analyzes Pakistan's strategic ambition to forge a new bloc of influence based on shared religious and cultural heritage, often framed within the concept of "strategic depth." The study assesses the initial enthusiasm in Pakistan for building a strong partnership with the CARs and explores the diplomatic, economic, and cultural initiatives undertaken to this end. However, the research also provides a critical analysis of the limitations of this Islam-centric approach. It argues that the secular-oriented, post-Soviet leaderships of the CARs were often wary of Pakistan's emphasis on political Islam and were more interested in pragmatic economic relationships than in ideological alliances. The paper concludes that while the "Islam factor" was an important initial driver of Pakistan's policy, it proved to be an insufficient basis for building a durable and influential regional partnership.
Full Text
The independence of the five Central Asian Republics in 1991 opened up a new and exciting foreign policy frontier for Pakistan. This paper analyzes the role of the "Islam factor" in shaping Pakistan's early engagement with this new region. The study begins by detailing the initial wave of optimism in Islamabad, which saw the emergence of the CARs as a historic opportunity to create a new zone of strategic and economic influence, bound by the common ties of Islam. It examines Pakistan's early diplomatic outreach, which was heavily imbued with the rhetoric of Islamic solidarity, and its efforts to promote religious and cultural exchanges. The core of the paper, however, is a critical assessment of the effectiveness of this approach. It argues that Pakistani policymakers often misread the political realities of the CARs. The post-Soviet elites in these countries, while respectful of their Islamic heritage, were primarily secular in their political orientation and were deeply suspicious of the forms of political Islam that were prominent in Pakistan. The paper highlights that the CARs were more interested in Pakistan as a potential gateway to the sea and as a partner in economic development than as a source of religious guidance. The findings suggest that the initial, ideologically driven approach based on the "Islam factor" had to give way to a more pragmatic and economically-focused policy, as Pakistan came to terms with the complex and secular realities of post-Soviet Central Asia.