Pakistan At The Crossroads: Turning Geography Into Strategic Influence |
Pakistan’s strategic relevance today is shaped less by any single neighbourhood than by its position at the intersection of South and West Asia. As South Asia grows more politically unsettled and West Asia undergoes deep economic and strategic change, Pakistan faces a defining question: can it turn geography into influence, or will it remain a peripheral player in both regions?
For decades, Pakistan’s foreign policy weight was measured largely in security terms—alliances, military posture, and rhetorical alignment. That currency has steadily depreciated. In today’s regional environment, influence flows from economic credibility, institutional reliability, and the ability to facilitate trade, energy, and connectivity. Geography still matters, but it is no longer enough on its own. And crucially, it cannot compensate for chronic political instability at home.
West Asia has become central to Pakistan’s external reality. Energy supplies, remittances, labour markets, and investment flows bind Pakistan’s economy more closely to the Gulf than to any other region. At the same time, the Gulf itself is changing. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar are diversifying beyond hydrocarbons, investing in logistics, manufacturing, technology, and regional supply chains. They are looking for partners who are stable, predictable, and commercially credible.
Pakistan appears, on paper, well placed to benefit. Its location offers a natural bridge between the Gulf, South Asia, Central Asia, and western China. Yet this potential remains largely unrealised. One reason lies outside Pakistan’s control: regional volatility. But the more decisive reason lies within. Persistent political instability—frequent changes in government, contested authority, and weak policy continuity—undercuts Pakistan’s ability to present itself as a reliable long-term partner.
Gulf states today assess relationships through commercial logic........