By Khushal Khan

Pakistan’s increasingly visible diplomatic role in the current era, defined less by a rules-based global order and more by strategic power dynamics, underscores its renewed relevance on the global stage.

The recent invitation received by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif from US President Donald Trump to become part of the “Board of Peace” initiative on Gaza highlights Islamabad’s growing diplomatic influence in key foreign capitals.

Today’s global crises, from Gaza to Ukraine, Yemen to Venezuela and parts of Africa, are not isolated flashpoints but interconnected challenges that expose the limitations of a static, rules-based international system. Conflict has increasingly become a deliberate policy instrument for some major powers, while geopolitical realignments are accelerating. In this environment, some countries have moved firmly into bloc politics, while others have remained neutral. However, in such an environment, presence defines relevance.

In the current global environment, presence in international forums matters, not because it implies endorsement of every policy, but because it ensures a country’s voice, interests and principles are part of critical decision-making processes.

Trump’s invitation to Pakistan to join the Board of Peace on Gaza reflects this reality. The platform places Islamabad at the center of discussions on one of the most enduring humanitarian crises of our time, reaffirming Pakistan’s role as an active contributor to peace efforts aligned with United Nations resolutions.

Participation in consequential dialogue does not signify acquiescence to a single narrative. It is a strategic necessity. Global decisions are shaped whether a nation attends or not, and those who abstain risk forfeiting influence where it matters most.

Strategic autonomy over bloc politics

Pakistan’s foreign policy has long rejected rigid bloc alignments. Instead, it pursues strategic autonomy, engaging with diverse partners while preserving diplomatic maneuverability. Islamabad believes in constructive engagement with all major powers, including the United States, while revitalized ties with Russia and maintaining an iron-clad strategic partnership with China and a leading role in the Muslim world, which are not contradictions but strategic constants.

This balanced approach has begun to yield dividends. International commentary increasingly highlights Pakistan’s diplomatic maturity and its role as a responsible state that advances national interests without compromise.

Pakistan’s foreign policy has always promoted key national interests without compromise whether it was China, India, Kashmir or Palestine; Pakistan never wavered from its Principled stance.

According to diplomatic analysts, Islamabad’s strategy of combining productive engagement with global powers while upholding principled positions has strengthened its credibility and influence on the global stage. Leading international media outlets, including The Diplomat, have recently praised Pakistan’s foreign policy and its role as a peacemaker in the region and beyond.

Principles that guide pakistan’s foreign policy

Pakistan’s foreign policy is anchored in clearly defined principles rather than reactive posturing. Islamabad maintains its longstanding position of not recognizing Israel in the absence of a just and viable solution of Palestinian issue based on UN resolutions.

On Kashmir, Pakistan’s stance remains firm and unambiguous. Islamabad considers the region central to its national security and continues to call for a peaceful, fair and internationally supervised resolution in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

More broadly, Pakistan’s foreign policy emphasizes deterrence stability, territorial integrity and regional equilibrium, rather than ideological expansionism or coercion.

Pakistan’s geography further enhances its strategic relevance, placing it at the crossroads of South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. Coupled with credible military capability, this position strengthens Islamabad’s voice on matters of peace, security and stability.

Recent diplomatic engagements and growing interest from world leaders reflect Pakistan’s improved global standing. Analysts viewed Islamabad is a responsible and influential actor capable of contributing meaningfully to international stability.

On the other hand, Pakistan’s arch-rival India’s growing diplomatic isolation is not episodic; it is structural. Strategic overreach and narrative inflation have narrowed its space for convergence in an increasingly hard-power environment

From visibility to influence

In a world where geopolitical fault lines are hardening, neutrality risks sliding into irrelevance. For Pakistan, the world’s only nuclear Muslim state, absence from key diplomatic platforms would amount to strategic forfeiture.

By engaging decisively, Pakistan ensures its principles are defended where decisions are made, not merely discussed. The message is clear: Pakistan enters global contestation not as a bystander, but as a sovereign state guided by strategic clarity, deterrence stability and respect for international law.

Its sustained contributions to UN peacekeeping missions and constructive diplomacy demonstrate that Pakistan’s credibility is built through action rather than rhetoric. In the shifting landscape of 21st-century geopolitics, Pakistan’s presence is not optional, it is a strategic necessity.