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ISLAMABAD: Once seen as a country pushed to the edges of international diplomacy, Islamabad&rsquo;s foreign policy has undergone a major shift in 2025, becoming a significant regional partner and security provider to major powers and a key player in South and West Asian geopolitics.&nbsp;Last month, Pakistan&#39;s Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, told the media that Pakistan had become &ldquo;extremely relevant&rdquo; on the global stage. He credited this change to more assertive diplomacy following the May military conflict with India.&nbsp;The recent developments follow several years of economic hardship, political unrest, and reduced cooperation with traditional allies after the United States withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021.&nbsp;Turning point after years of strainConcerns about Pakistan&rsquo;s global standing were reflected in a May 22, 2023, report by the United States Congressional Research Service, which noted Pakistan&rsquo;s diminishing influence after the US exit from Afghanistan.&nbsp;Analysts describe 2025 as a turning point, with Islamabad working to re-establish itself as an active diplomatic player in South Asia, the Gulf, and beyond.&nbsp;Re-engagement with WashingtonFollowing the four-day war with India in May, Pakistan publicly acknowledged Washington&rsquo;s role in de-escalation and later nominated President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.&nbsp;Since then, US President Donald Trump has praised Pakistan&rsquo;s Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir, on multiple occasions, calling him a &ldquo;highly respected general.&rdquo;&nbsp;In July, Pakistan and the United States finalized a trade deal aimed at boosting bilateral trade, expanding market access, and improving cooperation in energy and technology.&nbsp;According to the Associated Press of Pakistan, the agreement included reciprocal tariff reductions and joint efforts to develop Pakistan&rsquo;s energy reserves.&nbsp;&ldquo;This deal marks the beginning of a new era of economic collaboration, especially in energy, mines and minerals, IT, cryptocurrency, and other sectors,&rdquo; the APP reported.&nbsp;Meanwhile, the US Charg&eacute; d&rsquo;Affaires, Natalie Baker, stated in a social media post that &ldquo;the future is bright&rdquo; for US-Pakistan relations, citing increased cooperation, investment, and people-to-people exchanges during the year. Deepening ties in the GulfPakistan also moved to strengthen its role in the Middle East. In September, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement in Riyadh. Under this agreement, an attack on one country would be considered an attack on both, reflecting the depth of their security partnership.&nbsp;The pact builds on decades of cooperation between the two nations and reinforces Pakistan&rsquo;s role as a key security partner in the Gulf.&nbsp;Sustained partnership with ChinaChina remained a central part of Pakistan&rsquo;s foreign and economic policy in 2025. The two countries reaffirmed their cooperation under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), especially in infrastructure, mining, and energy.&nbsp;In August 2025, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Beijing and signed the &quot;CPEC Phase-II Acceleration Pact,&quot; focusing heavily on industrial cooperation and agricultural modernization.&nbsp;Expanding diplomatic effortsPakistan&rsquo;s diplomatic activity increased throughout the year, including high-level exchanges with T&uuml;rkiye, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran. Islamabad also hosted the United States-Pakistan Counterterrorism Dialogue in August.&nbsp;Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said earlier this year that Pakistan had entered a &ldquo;new phase&rdquo; of foreign policy, positioning itself as a partner to multiple major powers.&nbsp;Challenges from AfghanistanExperts acknowledge that challenges remain. Pakistan continues to face security threats originating from Afghanistan, which has caused significant instability.&nbsp;In an unprecedented move, both countries have engaged in direct and frequent clashes along their borders.&nbsp;According to Sammi Yousafzai, a specialist in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, &ldquo;the bilateral relations between the two countries nosedived to their lowest ebb.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;This has been a setback not only for Pakistan but also for the Afghan Taliban that lost a reliable partner during the persistent clashes,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;Although bilateral border trade has largely stalled, quiet diplomacy is developing between the two nations.&nbsp;Afghanistan&rsquo;s Interior Minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, last week welcomed remarks by Pakistan&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, along with a statement from Pakistani religious scholars in Karachi, emphasizing the need for dialogue.&nbsp;As 2025 concludes, Pakistan stands not on the fringes but at the heart of evolving strategic relationships, a transformation few would have predicted just a year ago.

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Foreign Affairs

Pakistan shifted from early-year diplomatic isolation to emerging as a key regional partner and security provider for major powers by year’s end, underscoring a notable turnaround in its foreign policy trajectory

Articles tagged with "Isolation to Relevance"

Pakistan: From Isolation To Relevance

Pakistan: From Isolation To Relevance