PNN: The Diplomat has termed 2025 a pivotal year for Pakistan, highlighting its strategic comeback, renewed military confidence, and improved international standing.
According to the magazine, Pakistan re-emerged as a focal point of global attention in 2025 after several years, driven largely by decisive military leadership and a clear state narrative against extremism. The Diplomat noted that Pakistan’s military leadership delivered an unambiguous message that the authority to declare jihad rests solely with the state, not with any non-state group.
The report highlighted the role of Pakistan’s armed forces in safeguarding national interests while maintaining internal discipline. Military engagements with India in May 2025 attracted widespread international attention, with the publication stating that Pakistan’s response helped clarify the regional military balance.
Despite limited resources, Pakistan demonstrated effective deterrence, enhancing its strategic credibility and restoring international confidence in its defence posture, the report said. Pakistan’s military performance also became a topic of global defence discussions, with analysts acknowledging the professionalism and operational effectiveness of its armed forces.
Separately, another American magazine, Foreign Policy, while assessing former US President Donald Trump’s foreign policy during his second tenure, placed Pakistan among the “winners,” while categorising India among the “losers.”
According to Foreign Policy, Pakistan made a subtle but significant strategic re-entry in Washington, leading to a noticeable improvement in US-Pakistan relations. The magazine noted that Pakistan gained a degree of trust and direct access in Washington that some of America’s close allies struggled to achieve.
Pakistan’s role in facilitating the arrest of a high-profile terrorism mastermind was described as a major success, further strengthening its image as a reliable counterterrorism partner. The report also pointed to Pakistan’s pragmatic engagement under Trump’s “transactional” foreign policy approach, including discussions on trade, critical minerals, and collaboration in emerging areas such as cryptocurrencies.
The magazine highlighted the role of Pakistan’s military leadership, particularly Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, in improving bilateral relations, noting that strong personal ties between Trump and Pakistan’s military leadership contributed to a more favourable perception of the Pakistani government in the United States.
In contrast, Foreign Policy observed that US-India relations were at their lowest point in two decades.
Both publications concluded that 2025 presents Pakistan with a historic opportunity to leverage renewed international trust and convert strategic gains into long-term economic and political stability.