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Pakistan, being the immediate neighbour of Afghanistan, has been widely affected by the developments taking place in the country in the aftermath of the US withdrawal and the subsequent rise of the Taliban into power in August 2021. Pakistan's relationship with both the US and Afghanistan encountered new scenarios and a set of challenges. The US and Pakistan both found a space for more focus on bilateral ties, away from the burden of third party i.e., Afghanistan, which remained a key determining factor in their ties. However, it is yet to be seen how both countries carve a way out of the troubled history of engagement in the past. Similarly, despite Pakistan's historical links with the Taliban, its relationship with Afghanistan also witnessed a downward spiral due to border tensions and the resurgence of TTP. The paper looks into the changing dynamics of the bilateral US-Pakistan and Pakistan-Afghanistan relationship in the backdrop of geopolitical changes in the region after the US withdrawal. It argues that despite divergence in interests, it is crucial for Pakistan to engage both the US and Afghanistan for the fulfillment of its geo-economic aspirations in the region as a key determining factor of its foreign policy in recent times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turkey is among the strong allies of Pakistan, which has supported Pakistan on international forums and both countries share strong defense, economic and strategic ties. These strong relations have gained new momentum under President Erdogan. With the changing world order and regional geopolitics, both States have realigned their foreign policies. The objective of this paper is to explore the strategic areas of cooperation between Turkey and Pakistan and assess that how Economic ties between Turkey and Pakistan grew under Erdogan. For this purpose, the study has adopted a qualitative methodology to comprehend the in-depth analysis. The past years have been embarked the increasing cooperation in all fields. Moreover, President Erdogan has been vocally supporting Pakistan’s Kashmir stance. Both countries have similar stances on the Kashmir and Cyprus conflicts. This implies that the stronger collaboration and close ties can not only bring about tremendous benefits for both, but act as a strong voice for the Muslim W [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakistan occupies an elevated role in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and hosts its so-called flagship project, the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Existing literature has often interpreted this project from a geopolitical perspective, as a vehicle through which a rising China projects influence on a peripheral country and advances its own centrality in international affairs. While such motivations certainly played a major role in getting the project off the ground, they are not the sole determinant of its design, or the heated controversies it triggered within Pakistan. This paper seeks to capture both dimensions by analysing the development of CPEC, and the handling of the conflicts it sparked, through a lens of overlapping centre–periphery relations: one between China and Pakistan at the international level, and one between Islamabad and peripheral regions and groups within the country. I argue that this model best captures the pivotal position and resulting agency of national governments in shaping local BRI implementations. It also shows how the BRI is not a straight case of Chinese influence radiating outwards; rather, contestation by local actors in turn forces adaptations in Chinese foreign and security policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the factors responsible for compelling Pakistan to support the 'Operation Enduring Freedom 'led by the USA and its Allies in Afghanistan in 2001.The goals behind this operation were to dismantle the Al-Qaeda terrorist organization in Afghanistan. When the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan in 1996, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and UAE, were the only states who recognized their government in Afghanistan. Pakistan considers Taliban as a strategic asset for obtaining its objectives in Afghanistan. Regional and extra-regional powers such as, the India, US, Russia, Iran supported their client groups in support of their own national interest, in Afghanistan. However, keeping in view the US-India strategic partnership in the region, Pakistan changed its foreign policy, and supported the Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. This change of policy brought up economic and political, and security challenges for Pakistan. Terrorist activities, suicide killings, and bomb blasts hit the society. Since then, its security is in doldrums. The paper argues that serious internal and external security factors compelled Pakistan to change its policy towards Afghanistan in 2001. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tribal region of the North West Frontier (NWF) of the Indian Sub-continent was geo-politically an important region for the British India. It provided a direct link to Afghanistan. During the colonial history of India, Afghanistan was used as a buffer between the expanding Russian Empire and India. So the tribal areas of the NWF were to be used as a buffer between Afghanistan and India in case Russia penetrate in Afghanistan. Beside this, controlling the tribal areas also helped in protecting the adjacent settled districts from the plunder of the tribesmen. The tribal areas also provided safe passages to the British convoys. The paper highlights colonization and administration of the tribal areas of the NWF, and the geopolitical interests of the British colonial power in this area. The paper explores all this through the lens of the colonial literature produced during that time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrastructure has played an agential role in the securitisation of everyday life in the Karakoram high mountains of north Pakistan. Geopolitics bear heavily on this region where Pakistan shares borders with China, with whom it has aligned its foreign and security policy, and with India, with whom Pakistan remains embroiled in a long‐standing territorial dispute. Consequently, in the Karakoram, geopolitical anxieties have reflected inwards onto local populations through both security infrastructure and securitised infrastructure. In this postcolony frontier space, statecraft also frequently bypasses normative legal and administrative structures; such exceptions to normative law and administration have antecedents in colonial statecraft on the territorial margins of empire. This paper also argues that long cycles of military rule have allowed the military to acquire and project technocratic expertise, become custodians of state‐led development, and recently, to assume guardianship of, and to enter into joint financing with China on, construction projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The January 16, 2024, missile and drone strike by Iran against alleged sanctuaries of Jaish al-Adl inside Pakistan’s province of Baluchistan provoked a short crisis between Islamabad and Tehran, culminating in retaliation by Pakistan on January 18, 2024. The lack of close coordination on their shared frontier, amidst severe issues of drug trafficking from Afghanistan, terrorism in Baluchistan, and Iranian concerns about infiltration, undermined a mutual understanding between these two countries. Pakistan was entirely surprised, never having been attacked by Iran before. Despite the strike during the election campaign to determine Pakistan’s next governing party and executive, Islamabad resisted retaliation until it failed to elicit a conciliatory explanation from Tehran. Iran’s attack was most likely the result of a hardline foreign policy initiative decided and implemented by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as part of its escalating conflict with Israel and the defence of the Houthis in Yemen. Following Pakistan’s measured and proportionate response, Tehran and Islamabad, encouraged by China, the US, Russia, and Türkiye, diplomatically defused the tension, and bilateral relations normalised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geopolitical environmentof South Asia has significantlychanged in last two decades. This change essentially poses various challenges and brings opportunities for Pakistan in the region. The prime focus of this paper is to give an insight into challenges faced by Pakistan in a historical narrationand to critically evaluate the implications of emerging geopolitical environment for Pakistan's foreign policy. Therefore, this study, by adopting realist perspective, develops "stress and strain" frameworkto analyses the impacts of regional geopoliticson foreign policy of Pakistan. Thishistorical analysisreveals that the interest of great powers in the region changes with passage of timeand thus changes their allianceswith regional states. This shifting of alliances modifies the way of interaction among regional states. The study concludes with suggestions that the articulation of national interest and foreign policy of Pakistanneeds to be reviewed continuouslyin order to overcome the emerging challenges and to find the best possible way of engagement at regional and international level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Purpose of this study consists of three dynamic perspectives. The first one is to understand Climate change and its impacts on global community. The Second is to grasp the geopolitical variable of sea born trade shifts from Indian Ocean to Arctic Ocean and North Sea. Finally, the vast energy resources in the bottom of the Arctic as well as open up the northern trade route. The Arctic Ocean route has also provided more options for, those, nations dependent on energy imports and trade, for their economic growth. The resultant competition for viability between the North Sea and Indian Ocean trade routes shall force all the energy dependent nations to change their foreign policy decisions and shift towards Northern routes for trade. The methodology adopted for this study is based on qualitative research model. The research recommended that Pakistan, too, must turn its gaze more to the North, towards Central Asia and then towards Russia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years between 2013-18, Pakistan-China relations witnessed a qualitative transformation as the bilateral ties expanded from defence to the economic sphere. The cooperation under the framework of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is increasing Chinese investments in Pakistan's energy and infrastructure sectors. Expanding avenues of bilateral cooperation has led to emergence of new dynamics in the bilateral relations. With increased inter-dependence, both countries are also navigating major power international politics. Beijing and Islamabad have increased their coordination for peace and stability in Afghanistan as well as at the multilateral forums including the United Nations (UN) and Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). Traditional strategic cooperation is deepening to meet new geo-strategic challenges. Beyond CPEC, closer strategic engagement will determine the future direction of bilateral relations. Thus, it is crucial to take stock of the evolving geo-political dynamics and their impact on strategic dimensions of the bilateral relations. This paper aims to move forward from this standpoint and seeks to explore what developments have taken place in bilateral relations beyond CPEC during past five years (2013-2018). Most crucially, it explores how Pakistan-China relations have evolved in an era of geo-political tensions. It analyses how CPEC dynamics have influenced the course of broader relationship. Similarly, the growing coordination of two countries at the multilateral forums is also explored as they attempt to navigate the major power politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CPEC is a mega investment project, termed as a key to rapid economic growth of Pakistan. It is an economic corridor providing connectivity to China, building around which Pakistan is believed to harness economic dividends as time passes. The project has great strategic significance and it contains enormous economic prospects, thus is vital for both the countries. Though, CPEC is not completed yet, it has already started contributing to Pakistan's economy as investment in energy projects has increased electricity supplies. CPEC has attracting private sector investment in to Pakistan, which as per official estimates, is expected to boost economic growth rate to 5.5 percent in the near future. While CPEC is a game changer for the development, government needs to pay attention to develop human capital (health, education, trainings and skills) and infrastructure (western route) in order to develop lagging regions and to improve the living standard of people living there. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Media, influences topics of public importance. In academia, the recent crescendo in Pak-China relationship is interpreted variedly, such as economic, political, security/strategic, social and even a section of society conjectures China as the second East India Company. The increasing reputation of China in Pakistan, projection of projects such as CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) and frequent reflection of the same in national media, also triggers the academic discussion. This study attempts to highlight various Dimensions of Pak-China relations under the framework of Agenda setting theory and to find out what dimensions, in particular, economic, political, security/strategic and social, dominate this relation? The methodology employed is mainly qualitative, sprinkled with empirical elements, such as data on Pak-China relations, drawn from print media of Pakistan. This might prove one modicum way to determine the nature of Pak-China relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foreign Policy is something not tangible and reflected by deeds and agreements between states. Recent deeds and agreements between Russia and Pakistan as well as research confirm that there is an obvious change in Russia's policy of South Asian Region in favor of Pakistan. Russia recognizes Pakistan's importance for peaceful political settlement in Afghanistan and linking Eurasian Union with South Asia, Indian Ocean and beyond. Russia has stopped viewing India as a counter weight to China in the region. Rift between Russia and American led West has intensified in post-Crimea period and the USA-India strategic partnership is yet another factor responsible for Russia's changed approach towards South Asia. So changes in Russia's policy goals along with changes in international and regional orientations caused shift in Russia's policy towards South Asia. In contemporary regional geo-political environment, Pakistan needs to take positive and correct course of action through diversification of foreign relations, importantly by having close relations with Russian Federation as response to Russia's shifted policy and tilt towards Pakistan. It will enhance Pakistan's bargaining power in international dealings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]