The trilateral defence pact signed between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey on Friday is the culmination of a series of events that have led to Pakistan cementing its position as the key beneficiary of the geo-political churn. Here are ten reasons that explain Pakistan's strategic elevation.

1. Maximum gain in six months: Pakistan has won without firing a bullet. This "win" is of course not literal but relative to the gains and losses of all concerned countries from the pre-to-post war scenario. In this period, we have facilitated belligerents to the negotiating table, reinforced the leverage of our hard power, and gained greater strategic space through imaginative and deft diplomacy. No other country has traversed greater distance and gained a larger profile since February 27, 2026.

2. From South Asia to West Asia: Pakistan has expanded its strategic geography from a South Asian country locked into a hostile relationship with India to being a net stability provider for the region. This term (or its derivative) is now increasingly being used to describe how Pakistan has utilized its relationships with all key stakeholders in the region and beyond to shape diplomacy and spearhead a new security architecture for the region. Since the signing of the trilateral pact on Friday, analysts and commentators from India to Israel to Istanbul, to Saudi Arabia to Washington and London are now acknowledging that Pakistan has emerged as a key middle power and is central to rapidly evolving geo-political order in the region.

3. Irony of Guns vs Butter debate: The heavy expenditure on the military has always been considered a weakness for Pakistan in the traditional 'Guns vs Butter' debate. Those arguing for peace with India so we can reduce money spent on weapons have always maintained that this very aspect – too much resources........

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