Pakistan & the World

Pakistan's foreign policy has been shaped by several constants since independence: security concerns (especially vis-à-vis India), Islamic identity and solidarity with the Muslim world, economic development needs, and its geostrategic position. The constitution (Article 40) directs that foreign policy should strengthen fraternal relations with Muslim countries and promote international peace. Over time Pakistan has balanced relationships between East and West, sometimes aligning with the US (Cold War, War on Terror), sometimes pivoting to China.

Kashmir is the central, unresolved dispute between Pakistan and India — dating to the moment of independence in 1947. The Hindu Maharaja of the Muslim-majority princely state of Jammu & Kashmir, Hari Singh, signed the Instrument of Accession to India in October 1947 under duress during a tribal uprising. Pakistan disputes this accession. The UN Security Council passed resolutions in 1948 calling for a plebiscite — which has never been held. The dispute has triggered three full wars (1947–48, 1965, 1971) and a limited conflict at Kargil (1999).

The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960 is one of the world's most successful water-sharing agreements — having survived three wars and decades of hostility. Brokered by the World Bank and signed by PM Jawaharlal Nehru and President Ayub Khan, it divides the six rivers of the Indus system between India and Pakistan. Pakistan receives the three western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab); India receives the three eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej). The treaty is managed by the Permanent Indus Commission.

Trade and diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan have been volatile — frequently suspended in response to political crises and military standoffs. The two countries share the Wagah-Attari land border crossing (the only land trade route). Trade was completely suspended by Pakistan after India revoked Article 370 in 2019, and relations remain largely frozen as of the mid-2020s. Despite this, economists estimate the potential bilateral trade could be $30–40 billion annually if normalised.

The Durand Line is the 2,670 km border between Pakistan and Afghanistan — drawn in 1893 by British India's Foreign Secretary Sir Mortimer Durand and Afghan Amir Abdur Rahman Khan. It divided Pashtun tribal areas between the two countries. Afghanistan has never formally recognised the Durand Line as a permanent international boundary, claiming it was imposed under colonial pressure. This non-recognition is a persistent source of tension — it fuels cross-border movement of militants and complicates border management.

Pakistan has hosted the world's largest Afghan refugee population since the Soviet-Afghan War (1979–1989) drove millions across the border. The refugee crisis deepened after the US withdrawal and Taliban takeover in August 2021. Pakistan currently hosts over 4 million Afghans (registered and unregistered), making it one of the world's largest refugee-hosting countries. The Taliban's return to power has created security concerns — particularly the rise of TTP (Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan) launching attacks from Afghan soil.

China is Pakistan's most important strategic partner — often described in official language as an "all-weather strategic cooperative partnership." The relationship dates to the 1950s and was formalised with a boundary agreement in 1963 (Pakistan ceded the Trans-Karakoram Tract to China). China provides Pakistan with military hardware, nuclear cooperation (under safeguards), diplomatic cover at the UN Security Council (where China vetoes measures against Pakistan), and massive economic investment through CPEC.

The Karakoram Highway (KKH) is the physical backbone of Pak-China connectivity — a 1,300 km road stretching from Hasan Abdal near Rawalpindi through the Karakoram mountains to Kashgar in China's Xinjiang province. Often called the "8th Wonder of the World," it was built jointly over 20 years (completed 1979) at the cost of ~900 lives. CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) is the modern expansion of this connectivity — a $62 billion infrastructure and energy megaproject linking Gwadar port to China.

Pakistan has been active in international organisations since independence — joining the UN within weeks of its creation and helping found the OIC after the 1969 arson at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem united the Muslim world. Pakistan's regional organisation memberships reflect its complex relationships: SAARC (South Asia) has been largely paralysed by India–Pakistan tensions; the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) offers a new platform with China and Russia; the Commonwealth links Pakistan to Britain and former colonies.

Pakistan is consistently one of the top three contributors of troops to UN peacekeeping missions globally — a point of national pride and a key instrument of Pakistan's foreign policy and international standing. Pakistani troops have served in over 40 UN missions across Africa, the Middle East, and the Balkans. This active peacekeeping role enhances Pakistan's reputation as a responsible international actor and provides practical military experience.

Pakistan conducted its first nuclear weapons tests on 28 May 1998 — in direct response to India's Pokhran II nuclear tests (11–13 May 1998). Pakistan detonated five devices at Chagai Hills in Balochistan on 28 May and one more on 30 May 1998. This day is celebrated as "Youm-e-Takbeer" (Day of Greatness). Pakistan became the 7th country in the world — and the first and only Muslim-majority nation — to conduct nuclear tests. The tests were ordered by PM Nawaz Sharif despite international pressure.

Pakistan is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and has developed its own nuclear doctrine based on "minimum credible deterrence" — maintaining just enough nuclear capability to deter an Indian attack. Pakistan has not adopted a "no first use" (NFU) policy, unlike India, reserving the right to use nuclear weapons first if facing existential conventional military pressure. The Strategic Plans Division (SPD) controls Pakistan's nuclear arsenal under the National Command Authority (NCA).

Pakistan's diaspora — approximately 9 million overseas Pakistanis — is one of the country's most important economic assets. Remittances sent home have become the 2nd largest source of foreign exchange earnings (after exports), reaching approximately $27 billion per year. This money is a lifeline for millions of Pakistani families and helps offset the country's chronic trade deficit. The largest diaspora communities are in the Gulf States (UAE, Saudi Arabia), the UK, and the USA.