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Aayla Areej, a student of Sir Syed Kazim Ali, has attempted the CSS 2020 essay “Global Power Dynamics and Pakistan’s Foreign Policy” using Sir Kazim’s proven essay writing pattern and strategy. As Pakistan’s leading CSS and PMS English Essay and Precis coach, Sir Syed Kazim Ali has been the only English mentor with the highest success rate of his students in Essays and Precis for over a decade. The essay is uploaded to help other competitive aspirants learn and practice essay writing techniques and patterns to qualify for the essay paper.
Outline
1-Introduction
Although some argue that Pakistan’s foreign policy is primarily shaped by regional factors such as its rivalry with India, global power dynamics, in reality, strategic alliances, economic dependence, military partnerships, and global regulatory bodies play a more decisive role in shaping the country’s foreign policy direction.
2-Understanding the concept and fundamentals of foreign policy
3-How does global power dynamics influence foreign policy decisions?
4-Pakistan’s foreign policy amidst evolving global power dynamics: A critical appraisal
5-How is Pakistan’s foreign policy shaped largely by global power dynamics?
- ✓Historical dependence on great powers playing significant role in shaping Pakistan’s foreign policy
- Evidence: According to Dennis Kux, Pakistan aligned its early foreign policy with the West due to its reliance on Western security guarantees and joined SEATO and CENTO, while receiving over $2 billion during the Cold War.
- ✓Security dynamics and strategic alliances
- Evidence: According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Defence Transfers Database (2023), Pakistan acquires nearly 74% of its military hardware from China, driven by security competition with India, shaping Pakistan’s foreign policy by solidifying long-term strategic, defence, and diplomatic alignment with Beijing.
- ✓Conditional aid and global financial institutions
- Evidence: According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program archives, Pakistan has entered more than 20 IMF stabilization programs since 1958, and these programs shape Pakistan’s foreign policy by compelling compliance with Western-backed economic governance and limiting its ability to pursue foreign or strategic initiatives independently.
- ✓Strategic hedging and balancing
- Evidence: Pakistan’s Foreign Office in 2022 said Pakistan would not join any anti-China bloc, while also joining the SCO and exploring BRICS+, showing Pakistan balances between the West and China to maintain multiple partners and energy options, such as Russian oil.
- ✓The cost of asymmetric power projection
- Evidence: The Bureau of Investigative Journalism reports the US carried out more than 430 drone strikes in Pakistan from 2004 to 2018, showing Pakistan sometimes accepts the US actions even against its wishes because of unequal power and the need for US support.
- ✓Global regulatory bodies
- Evidence: The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) confirmed in 2022 that Pakistan implemented over 40 legal and systemic reforms to exit the Grey List, proving that Pakistan changes laws and policies when global financial bodies apply pressure.
- ✓Ideational conformity under global norms cascades
- Evidence: According to the United Nations (UN) and government records, Pakistan promoted “Enlightened Moderation,” led COP27 on climate justice, and is a major UN peacekeeping contributor, showing it adopts global values to gain worldwide respect and legitimacy.
6-On what grounds do critics believe that Pakistan’s foreign policy is majorly shaped by internal and regional dynamics rather than global power dynamics?
- ✓Counterargument: Pakistan’s foreign policy has been shaped by rivalry with India.
- Refutation: The India factor itself is globalized because, in fact, the US-India strategic partnership (Indo-Pacific strategy), and China’s rivalry have made it part of the global power calculus. Pakistan’s India policy today cannot be separated from the US-China rivalry and BRICS-Quad geopolitics.
- ✓Counterargument: Pakistan’s foreign policy has been shaped by its security and strategic concerns in Afghanistan.
- Refutation: Pakistan’s Afghanistan policy has always intersected with major powers. From the Cold War between the US-Soviet to the US-led War on Terror and China’s current Afghanistan interests under BRI, Pakistan’s Afghanistan strategy is deeply influenced by global geopolitics. Regional realities existed, but they operated within a global power framework.
7-What policy measures should Pakistan adopt to steer global power dynamics more effectively and strengthen its foreign policy autonomy?
- ✓To shift toward geo-economics and trade diplomacy
- ✓To maintain balanced ties with both China and the West
- ✓To strengthen domestic stability and economic governance
8-Conclusion
Foreign policy, by its very nature, is shaped by the broader currents of global power politics, in which no state, especially a developing one, operates in complete isolation. And Pakistan’s foreign policy is no exception. Since independence, its diplomatic choices, strategic alignments, and security preferences have been heavily influenced by the shifting balance of power among global actors. From joining Western-led alliances during the Cold War to deepening strategic cooperation with China in the 21st century, the country’s policy trajectory reflects the gravitational pull of major power competition. Yet, some critics maintain that Pakistan’s foreign policy is driven mainly by regional realities, particularly the India-Pakistan rivalry and concerns in Afghanistan. However, these regional factors themselves are embedded within broader global rivalries, such as the US-China strategic contest, Indo-Pacific realignments, and global counterterrorism frameworks, which deeply shape Pakistan’s external behaviour. Therefore, Pakistan’s foreign policy is best understood not through a narrow regional lens but through the larger prism of global power dynamics that shape its options, constraints, and strategic choices. This essay critically examines how global power structures have historically influenced and continue to define Pakistan’s foreign policy in the 21st century.
Before examining the influence of global power dynamics on foreign policy decisions, understanding the concept and fundamentals of foreign policy is essential. It refers to the decisions, strategies, and actions a state adopts to protect its national interests and manage relations with other countries. And it aims to ensure national security, economic development, territorial integrity, and diplomatic influence. Indeed, internal needs and external realities, including security threats, economic aspirations, and global power shifts, usually shape a state’s foreign policy. Moreover, key tools of a country’s foreign policy include diplomacy, alliances, trade agreements, international institutions, and military cooperation. Additionally, it is guided by core principles, such as national interest, sovereignty, peaceful coexistence, and strategic autonomy. Thus, in an increasingly interdependent world, a state’s foreign policy is no longer just about borders; it is also about responding to global economic systems, power blocs, emerging technologies, and international norms.
With this foundational understanding in place, it becomes clear that global power dynamics play a major role in shaping how states make foreign policy decisions in an interdependent world. When powerful countries compete, form alliances, or shift their strategic focus, smaller states adjust their policies to protect their interests and avoid isolation. For example, during the Cold War, many countries aligned with either the United States or the Soviet Union to secure military and economic support. Similarly, the growing rivalry between the United States and China is reshaping foreign policy choices across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East today as states try to balance economic ties with China and security links with the West. Hence, countries often shift their foreign policy direction in response to trade benefits, security guarantees, sanctions pressure, and diplomatic incentives offered by major powers, indicating how global competition guides national decisions.
Applying these global trends to Pakistan, the country’s foreign policy has also shifted with changing power dynamics over time. During the Cold War, Pakistan aligned with the United States to secure military and economic support against regional threats. Subsequently, after 9/11, Pakistan again became a frontline ally in the US-led War on Terror, shaping its diplomatic and security choices. In the contemporary period, the rise of China and the US-China rivalry have brought another shift, with Pakistan strengthening strategic and economic ties with China through CPEC while maintaining working relations with the West. Taken together, these changes show that Pakistan’s foreign policy does not move in a vacuum; it evolves in response to global power competition, economic needs, and security concerns in an interconnected international system.
Against this evolving background, global power dynamics have exerted an immense influence on Pakistan’s foreign policy decisions and alignments. Various arguments backing this claim are discussed below. To begin with, Pakistan’s foreign policy has historically been shaped by reliance on powerful states for security and economic support. As a young state facing security pressures and resource constraints, Pakistan turned to major powers for military aid and diplomatic backing. According to Dennis Kux, Pakistan aligned itself with the West during the early Cold War by joining SEATO and CENTO and received more than $2 billion in military and economic assistance as part of US security arrangements, indicating that Pakistan’s foreign policy choices were driven not only by strategy but also by the need for external guarantees for defence and development. Therefore, early historical dependence laid the foundation for Pakistan’s pattern of engaging global powers to protect national interests.
Another major factor shaping Pakistan’s foreign policy is security-driven strategic partnerships. Facing a persistent security challenge from India, Pakistan has sought dependable military partners to maintain deterrence and balance regional power. According to the SIPRI Defence Transfers Database (2023), nearly 74 percent of Pakistan’s military hardware now comes from China, reflecting a deep reliance on China for defence. As a consequence, this heavy dependence shows that Pakistan’s foreign policy is closely tied to its security needs, pushing it toward sustained defence, diplomatic, and strategic alignment with Beijing. Hence, Pakistan’s pursuit of security against India has locked its foreign policy into a long-term partnership with China, showing how strategic threats connect Pakistan’s policy choices to global power structures.
Moreover, Pakistan’s foreign policy is also heavily constrained by international lending structures, in which macroeconomic survival often requires aligning with the policy preferences of Western-dominated institutions. In fact, frequent reliance on bailout packages creates a structural vulnerability, limiting Islamabad’s autonomy in shaping strategic choices. According to IMF program archives, Pakistan has entered more than 20 IMF stabilization programs since 1958, a pattern that compels compliance with US-aligned global economic governance norms and often restricts independent foreign policy initiatives. As a result, the US’s influence over IMF voting shares, coupled with Pakistan’s periodic balance-of-payments crises, means Pakistan must maintain cooperative ties with major Western capitals to secure financial relief. Thus, these dynamics show how international economic dependency translates into diplomatic accommodation, particularly in sensitive areas like counter-terrorism commitments and regional alignments.
Additionally, Pakistan increasingly adopts a strategic hedging approach to avoid overdependence on a single power bloc, aiming to maximize diplomatic flexibility while protecting national interests. The policy recognizes shifting global power centres and leverages diverse partnerships for security and economic gains. According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office (2022), Pakistan stated that it would not become part of any anti-China camp while simultaneously joining platforms, such as the SCO and exploring BRICS+. This highlights Pakistan’s intent to maintain ties with both Western and Eastern blocs and to secure diverse energy sources, including Russian oil. Hence, this balanced posture ensures that Pakistan avoids geopolitical isolation and maintains multiple channels for trade, technology, and security cooperation.
Furthermore, unequal global power structures sometimes force Pakistan into uncomfortable foreign policy compromises, reflecting its limited leverage against dominant powers. In such cases, Pakistan prioritizes national survival and strategic needs over complete policy autonomy. According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, the United States carried out over 430 drone strikes in Pakistan between 2004 and 2018. Despite repeated concerns from Islamabad, this reality indicates how the power imbalance compelled Pakistan to tolerate actions that ran counter to its stated sovereignty preferences as it relied on US military, diplomatic, and financial support. Therefore, this situation highlights that in an asymmetric global order, smaller states like Pakistan often pay strategic and political costs to maintain critical external partnerships.
Next, global regulatory institutions exert strong influence over Pakistan’s foreign policy by shaping its legal, financial, and diplomatic behaviour to align with international norms. To sustain foreign investment, trade access, and international legitimacy, Pakistan must adhere to global compliance frameworks. According to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in 2022, Pakistan implemented over 40 legislative and structural reforms to secure its exit from the Grey List, reflecting that international regulatory pressure directly drives domestic legal changes and foreign policy conduct. This means that Pakistan’s external engagement and internal policymaking are thus often calibrated to satisfy global governance mechanisms and avoid financial isolation in a power-driven international system.
Lastly, Pakistan’s foreign policy is also shaped by global norms and values as states today gain legitimacy not just through power but also through alignment with international ideals. To maintain diplomatic credibility and earn global respect, Pakistan engages with global narratives on peace, climate justice, and moderation. According to the United Nations (UN) and government records, Pakistan advanced the vision of “Enlightened Moderation,” played a leadership role at COP27 on climate justice, and remains one of the top contributors to UN peacekeeping missions. Collectively, it reflects how the adoption of dominant global values strengthens Pakistan’s international standing. Thus, these choices show that Pakistan aligns with global ideological currents to enhance its reputation, secure diplomatic goodwill, and remain relevant in modern world politics.
Despite this, critics contend that Pakistan’s foreign policy is shaped by regional factors rather than global power dynamics. They argue that Indian rivalry is the prime factor shaping Pakistan’s foreign policy, owing to its longstanding historical tensions since partition. However, this view ignores how the India factor itself has become globalized through major-power rivalries. And Pakistan’s India policy now operates inside the US-China strategic competition, not in isolation. According to the White House Indo-Pacific Strategy (2022) and Pakistan’s CPEC MoU (2015), India’s alignment with the US through the Quad and Pakistan’s deep strategic partnership with China show Indo-Pak tensions are part of a wider power contest. This indicates that the Pakistan-India rivalry operates within the US-China power competition, demonstrating that Pakistan’s India policy is influenced by global forces rather than solely regional concerns. Therefore, the India factor today reflects global power politics rather than a purely regional dispute.
Finally, opponents argue that Pakistan’s foreign policy is also driven by its security interests in Afghanistan rather than global forces, believing Pakistan’s actions stem from border security, refugee spillovers, and Taliban influence. They assert that Pakistan’s approach in Afghanistan has historically focused on securing western borders and maintaining strategic depth against regional instability. However, this view overlooks that Pakistan’s Afghanistan policy has always been tied to major global power struggles, from the US–Soviet Cold War rivalry to the US-led War on Terror and now China’s BRI footprint. According to US State Department archives and China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs briefings, Pakistan supported the US against the Soviets in the 1980s, became a Major Non-NATO Ally in 2004, and today aligns with China’s regional vision in Afghanistan policy. This historical continuity confirms that Afghanistan has consistently been a theatre of great-power competition. Thus, it shows that Pakistan’s Afghanistan policy is heavily shaped by global shifts rather than just regional needs.
Given these realities and the massive impact of global dynamics on foreign policy, Pakistan should consider measures to better conduct foreign policy in a highly interconnected world. First, Pakistan should prioritize geo-economics and trade diplomacy to enhance its strategic relevance and reduce overdependence on political alliances. In today’s global system, economic strength increasingly shapes power, making trade a central tool of foreign policy. Therefore, Pakistan should diversify its export markets, negotiate favorable trade agreements, and actively participate in regional connectivity projects linking South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East. Moreover, strengthening export-support institutions, attracting foreign direct investment, and improving ease of doing business would shift diplomacy from security-driven to economy-driven goals. Thus, a geo-economic focus would provide Pakistan with greater leverage, resilience, and global foreign policy autonomy.
Second, Pakistan should maintain balanced and pragmatic relations with both China and Western powers to avoid strategic overalignment. In an increasingly multipolar world, diplomatic flexibility is essential for safeguarding national interests. Accordingly, Pakistan should deepen its infrastructure and economic cooperation with China while simultaneously expanding trade, education, and technology partnerships with the United States and Europe. At the same time, this approach requires consistent diplomacy, issue-based engagement, and avoidance of zero-sum alignment in great-power rivalries. As a result, by positioning itself as a neutral and constructive partner, Pakistan can maximize diplomatic options and strengthen its foreign policy autonomy.
Last but not least, Pakistan must strengthen domestic political stability and economic governance to project credibility and independence in foreign policy. Without internal strength, a state’s external autonomy remains limited. Hence, implementing structural economic reforms, ensuring policy continuity, combating corruption, and improving institutional transparency are essential steps. In addition, political consensus on core foreign policy objectives and effective civil-military coordination would ensure consistent international engagement. When domestic foundations are strong, foreign policy becomes proactive rather than reactive. Hence, internal stability would enable Pakistan to navigate global power shifts with confidence and strategic clarity.
To conclude, Pakistan’s foreign policy, while shaped by regional realities, is fundamentally anchored in global power dynamics. Its historical Western alignment, current strategic partnership with China, repeated engagement with IMF programs, compliance with FATF, and norm-based diplomacy at the UN all reveal a foreign policy deeply interwoven with international structures. Taken as a whole, even major regional drivers like India and Afghanistan operate within a broader US-China strategic rivalry and evolving multipolar blocs. In a tightly globalized world, no state, particularly a developing one, frames policy in isolation. So, Pakistan must prioritize geo-economic strategy, strategic balancing among global powers, and domestic economic stability to enhance autonomy. Thus, harnessing global partnerships without overdependence is the only sustainable path for Pakistan toward a respected and influential role in the international system.
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