Raja Mandala: Can General Bajwa do what General Musharraf could not? Establish relations with Israel | The Indian Express

Raja Mandala: Can General Bajwa do what General Musharraf could not? Establish relations with Israel | The Indian Express

Written by C. Raja Mohan |Updated: September 10, 2019 10:27:19 am

C. Raja Mohan is Director, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, and contributing editor on foreign affairs for 'The Indian Express'.

Raja Mandala: Can General Bajwa do what General Musharraf could not? Establish relations with Israel

Realists in Islamabad are arguing for diplomatic relations with Israel. This is part of a new urgency to revamp the country’s foreign policy.

Pakistan’s debate on engaging Israel is also driven by the belief that India’s special relationship with Israel has given Delhi many advantages.

There is much speculation in the Pakistani and Israeli media about imminent establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Whether this turns out to be true or not, Pakistan is undoubtedly in the middle of a major debate on its international relations. To be sure, the idea of having ties with Israel has been discussed before in Pakistan. The current discourse, however, is part of a new urgency to revamp Pakistan’s foreign policy.