Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s first trip to Afghanistan this week since becoming the prime minister for the third time, marks an important opportunity for Pakistan’s political leadership to carve out a fresh policy for stabilising its neighbouring war-torn country.

The trip took place after Sharif’s credentials were clearly bolstered when he appointed a new army chief and a new chief justice of the supreme court — events that clearly lifted his political credentials in the eyes of many Pakistanis from the days in 1999 when he was removed in an army coup. These appointments for the moment suggest that Sharif is very much in charge of Pakistan.

By the end of 2014, US-led western forces in Afghanistan will have withdrawn from the country, leaving behind what may be a notch or two above a token presence. However, the challenge of stabilising Afghanistan will remain in place for the western world as well as for Pakistan, given that it has suffered from the consequences of the Afghan conflict spilling on to its turf.

In the eyes of key decision makers across the international security establishment led by important institutions such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato), events during and following the Afghan drawdown could set the pace for the future.

Any suggestion of Pakistan’s failure in stitching together a viable security framework alongside its border with Afghanistan, may well provoke a wider international backlash which could range from expressions of simple discomfort to possibly the application of punitive measures.

Drone intrusions

Given the opportunity versus the risk, the ruling establishment in Islamabad must seize the moment to move ahead quickly and decisively for tackling terrorism on Pakistan’s territory, mainly due to Islamabad’s key interests clearly at stake.

The aftermath of the New York terrorist attacks known as the 9/11 attacks indeed brought new security challenges for Pakistan, pushing the country to become the instant frontline state in the global war on terror. To date however, the contradictions surrounding Pakistan’s alliance with the US-led western world highlight the dilemma facing this relationship.

Notwithstanding Pakistan’s position, the country must be the world’s only state which periodically faces intrusions by its main military ally — the United States. While Islamabad continues to condemn each drone attack carried out by the US for the targeting of suspected militant sanctuaries on its tribal areas along the Afghan border, Pakistan needs to undertake wider measures to tackle the security-related challenges on its soil. Without such a push at a time when Pakistan’s border region with Afghanistan remains at the centre of at least a partial policy vacuum, the risk is indeed that of conditions simply aggravating further.

Unbridled insecurity which appears to have spread rampantly in parts of Pakistan, recently showed one of its worst manifestations. Unexpected riots in Rawalpindi just outside Islamabad quickly spread to other cities, forcing the authorities to adopt the extreme measure of slapping a tough curfew in select locations.

At the same time, Sharif faces the difficult reality of overseeing an increasingly dysfunctional economy. Just a day after naming the new army chief and the new chief justice of the Supreme Court, Sharif’s government announced a so-called package of incentives for new investments. However, it is likely that many investors will simply choose to stay away from Pakistan till the prevailing uncertainty begins to end.

The outlook for Pakistan’s economy poses a risk to the country’s security as much as the risk posed by terrorism and militancy. Sharif will not be able to oversee a successful turn around of Pakistan unless he can fix the economy, which requires a host of measures beyond just well packaged incentives.

In the past, Pakistan has relied heavily upon the western world for economic support, mainly to fill the gaps left by its own failures. However, the world is today seriously short of money in the midst of a global economic downturn. While Pakistan is up against positioning itself to support an orderly drawdown of US-led western troops from Afghanistan, the country must not look to performing this service for material gain.

Biting the bullet

Instead, a more progressive and forward looking approach must be anchored upon the idea of becoming part of important global partnerships at a time when the post Afghan drawdown period may open up a new world altogether. Across forums like the Nato defence college in Rome, as well as other important branches of the main western alliance, the way to the post-2014 future is already under intense discussion. Pakistan’s important interests will be best served by not only embracing internal reforms but also becoming an active participant in these discussions on the evolving future in its surrounding region.

This is all the more vital in view of Pakistan’s position as the Muslim world’s only country which is also armed with nuclear weapons. This is a powerful position achieved by Pakistan in 1998 when it carried out its maiden and landmark nuclear tests, just three weeks after its neighbour, India, carried out its second series of tests since India’s first nuclear tests in 1974.

Pakistan’s nuclear status brings for the country an important seat at the high table of global strategy. But more importantly, it must also drive home an important message that seeks to promote the cause of reforms. This week’s visit by Sharif to Kabul must lead him to proverbially bite the bullet and become a true leader of sustainable change. Fundamentally, meeting internal challenges must be an essential pre-requisite to Pakistan’s success on its external front.

Farhan Bokhari is a Pakistan-based commentator who writes on political and economic matters.