Nations are defined by how they use their geography. Few countries illustrate this more vividly than Pakistan, a state forged in history’s crucible and tested by shifting global power.
Since its emergence in 1947, Pakistan’s survival has required dexterity, calculation and timing. Across decades of turbulence – from the cold war to post-9/11 realignments and today’s multipolar flux – Pakistan has shown a remarkable ability to turn crises into opportunities. Its strategic behaviour has been evolutionary, guided by the principle that adaptability is the highest form of national intelligence.
As power diffuses across continents and ideologies, Pakistan’s foreign policy is shifting from geopolitical survival to strategic reliability.
The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 was Pakistan’s first defining test. Until then, relations with Kabul were marked by suspicion. When Soviet tanks crossed into Afghanistan, Islamabad recast its global position. General Ziaul Haq’s government swiftly aligned with the US and its allies, turning geographical vulnerability into geopolitical leverage. Hosting over four million Afghan refugees, Pakistan combined Islamic solidarity with strategic pragmatism. Western aid and arms flowed through Islamabad, bolstering its military and economy while Washington tolerated its clandestine nuclear program. By the late 1980s, Pakistan had emerged as a nuclear-capable regional power.
The end of the cold war did not end Pakistan’s Afghan engagement; it simply redrew its objectives. After the Soviet withdrawal, Afghanistan was fractured and Islamabad sought to prevent chaos from spilling over by backing Pashtun factions to secure a friendly, India-free Kabul. Through the 1990s and early 2000s, its policy aimed to avoid encirclement and gain strategic depth to the west. The Taliban’s rise seemed to offer this temporarily. After 9/11, Pakistan again balanced on a knife-edge. Aligning with the US-led ‘war on terror’, it navigated international pressure while maintaining discreet ties with the Taliban, ensuring continued relevance in shaping the post-war order. This dual-track diplomacy kept Pakistan central to global strategic calculations for decades, reflecting its understanding that power lies in remaining indispensable.
Today, the strategic chessboard has multiple centres of gravity. The old proxy-driven playbook is obsolete in a world shaped by economic interdependence and regional blocs. Pakistan’s foreign policy is evolving from transactional alignment to strategic equilibrium. Deepening ties with China, re-engagement with the US, balancing Gulf monarchies and Iran, and a more realistic approach toward the Taliban reflect this shift. Islamabad now prioritizes stability, inclusivity and economic integration, recognising that modern security rests on resilience, not ideology.
In this context, Pakistan’s insistence on preventing Talibanisation within its own borders marks the most significant shift in its strategic philosophy since 1979. Having witnessed the rise of radical offshoots and their corrosive impact on national unity, Islamabad now views the threat of internal extremism as existential. The emphasis on internal cohesion, governance reform and regional cooperation signals a departure from the security-first mindset of the past.
Pakistan is increasingly projecting itself as a moderate, forward-looking nation seeking peace through diplomacy and strength through development. The vision of a peaceful, democratic and representative Afghanistan is not born of moral romanticism but of hard-headed realism a recognition that Pakistan’s long-term security and prosperity are intertwined with regional stability. Its leadership understands that the new Great Game is not played with guns and proxies but with corridors, currencies, and communication lines.
The strength of the state now lies not in its ability to fight others’ wars but in its capacity to remain the connective hub between South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East.
The writer is a freelance contributor and writes on issues concerning national and regional security.
She can be reached at: omayaimen333gmail.com