Pakistan’s Regional Role

Strategic Alignment Under Pressure

Pakistan’s foreign policy faces crosscutting demands: deepening ties with China through CPEC, rebalancing security cooperation with the United States, and managing expectations from Gulf partners. SIPEG analysis maps the institutional drivers of these choices and their implications for strategic autonomy.

Regional Platforms and Multilateral Leverage

Islamabad’s engagement with forums such as SCO, ECO, and ASEAN dialogues underscores a pragmatic search for diversified avenues of economic diplomacy. Our field interviews illustrate how bureaucratic capacity and private sector partnerships can unlock greater benefits from these alignments.

Policy Recommendations

• Prioritize cross-border energy and logistics projects linking Central and South Asia.
• Build an integrated narrative on Pakistan’s climate-security nexus to align partner support.
• Expand parliamentary and subnational diplomacy to reinforce resilience against great-power whiplash.