Pakistan’s relations with the West are undoubtedly improving through direct, leader-to-leader engagement with the United States, as well as through stronger ties with U.S.-aligned states in the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Turkey. This renewed momentum has prompted speculation about the intent behind Pakistan’s diplomatic posture.
Yet, as Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar travels to Moscow for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, it is worth recalling that Pakistan has always placed its national interests above global ideological contests. One of the guiding principles of our diplomacy is, and must remain, honourable cooperation with all nations and a deliberate strategic balance between the interests of a declining West and those of a rising East. While the United States pursues avenues to isolate Russia and other adversaries, including its latest target Venezuela, Pakistan must continue its engagements as a sovereign state acting in its own strategic interest.
The SCO represents a crucial space for Pakistan’s geopolitical outlook. Its Central Asian members form the connective tissue between Europe and Asia, linking Pakistan through both Russia and China. At the same time, Pakistan must not lose sight of the fact that despite growing recognition in the West, its enduring strategic anchors — military cooperation, technology transfers, and dependable trade — remain rooted in China. Chinese support has been central to Pakistan’s military capabilities against India, and it is through Chinese assistance that Pakistan sustains an economy positioned between the volatile landscapes of Afghanistan and India.
As Pakistan participates in the SCO discussions, particularly concerning stability in Afghanistan, policymakers must keep in view that the original axis of Pakistan’s geopolitical needs still lies firmly in the East, even as rapprochement with the West gains pace. Neither pole can be divorced from Pakistan’s reality. Any political force or ideological project that seeks to impose a false binary on Pakistan’s foreign policy should be set aside in favour of a balanced, interests-driven approach that secures Pakistan’s future.
