The year 2025 has turned out to be an unusually fortunate one for Pakistan. As we approach the close of December, it is clear that this is no longer the Pakistan we saw at the beginning of the year. Operation Bunyan al-Marsoos has altered the strategic and psychological landscape in ways few could have imagined. Pakistan today stands stronger, more confident, and more credible than it did only months ago.

When Donald Trump returned to the White House, most analysts were convinced that Pakistan had slipped out of Washington’s strategic imagination. The prevailing view was that the United States had little use for Islamabad beyond limited, transactional engagement. That assumption has now collapsed. From South Asia to the Middle East, Pakistan has once again emerged as a pivotal player in major policy calculations.

Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir’s observation that he felt divine help descending during Operation Bunyan al-Marsoos resonated deeply across the country. It was not merely a personal reflection, but a sentiment many Pakistanis recognise today. There is a palpable sense that Allah has granted Pakistan an unexpected moment of honour and elevation, one that has arrived with such speed that it has astonished even seasoned observers.

To make sense of this sudden shift in Pakistan’s global........

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