Pakistan has good relations with important Pacific states like Australia and New Zealand. But in today’s globalised world, where technology such as AI is advancing, and the world is changing rapidly, is maintaining relations with only the key countries a good deal or a bad deal? Pakistan does not have time to think, because its neighbouring rival has become the fifth-largest economy in the world. Therefore, Pakistan will now have to build relations with the rest of the countries of Oceania, which will not only bring diplomatic success but also economic success—a challenge that has plagued Pakistan for the past decade.

As the relationship and awareness of Islamabad among the Pacific states increase during this period of critical global transformation, collaboration with countries such as Fiji and Samoa will become more significant. Such relationships are no longer based solely on official diplomacy but on common grounds such as climate change, agriculture, clean energy, and food security, where there is also some intersection with migration pressures and environmental issues.

In most aspects, the history of Pakistan’s foreign relations has followed the transformations of its domestic policies, establishing a significant bond between evolving diplomacy, internal changes, and the overall situation in the region. These external engagements are not occurring in isolation; they are deeply shaped by Pakistan’s own climate vulnerabilities, which form a core driver of its outreach to Pacific states facing similar environmental challenges.

Pakistan is among the nations most susceptible to climate change. High temperatures, unpredictable precipitation, and extreme events have a threatening impact on its agricultural backbone. There is a massive loss of up to 50 percent of vegetable crops, such as potatoes, peas, and tomatoes, especially in Punjab, the breadbasket of the country. Even key export crops are being affected: citrus production, particularly kinnow, orange, and lemon, has sharply fallen, partly due to worsening air quality.

However, Pakistan is not merely a victim........

© Naya Daur