Pakistan: Small state, big foreign policy |
FOREIGN policy is the mechanism through which a country conducts diplomatic interactions and manages relationships with other nations.
It reflects a country’s values and goals, helping to drive its political, strategic and economic objectives on the global stage. It is typically viewed as a purposive tool to achieve multiple national objectives without excessive costs. According to Henry Kissinger, foreign policy is an extension of domestic policy and its strength reflects the interests and priorities of the country. James Rosenau noted that small states can play effectively on the global stage by leveraging their geopolitical location, natu-ral resources and military strength. Moreover, small states can perform efficiently if they are politically stable, economically sound and militarily capable. Foreign policy, therefore, can be used to achieve economic prosperity and territorial security, prevent and resolve conflicts and influence the world through a combination of stable economy, military strength, socio-cultural values, natural resources and strategic geography.
In the contemporary geopolitical landscape, Pakistan is considered a “small state” in terms of territory, population, natural resources and limited industrial and technological capacity. However, following the May 2025 four-day war with India, Pakistan’s defence forces dem-onstrated outstanding performance and played an indispensable role in achieving a glorious victory. This conflict........