Pakistan Foreign Policy and Geopolitics

[Fatman17]

The New Great Game and Pakistan’s Central Asia Strategy - Pakistan Today

A modern “New Great Game” is reshaping Eurasia around trade, energy, digital infrastructure, and economic influence, making Central Asia increasingly important for Pakistan’s economic and strategic interests

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A strategic analysis of geopolitics, energy, and trade in modern Eurasia

By: Arsalan Ahmed Mahar

The phrase "The Great Game"— coined in the 19th century to describe the strategic rivalry between the British and Russian Empires over Central Asia— has taken on a dynamic, modern meaning. Today, a "New Great Game" is unfolding in Eurasia. Unlike its military-driven predecessor, this competition centres on trade corridors, energy pipelines, digital infrastructure, and economic influence.

 

[VickyIndian]

When Macca pact was signed it looked like a master stroke. A masterstroke for Munir specifically.
Munir had assumed that US-Iran conflict was almost over and this pact gave it immense benefits. Turkey too had assumed the same with massive benefits for it’s military production that is expanding rapidly. For Pakistan, the benefits were in the form of support in case of any conflict with India. Munir also seemed to have assumed Saudi to be a cash cow to support floundering Pak economy. It gave a hedge against relying solely on China for regular bailouts.

But, calculations always don’t work out in Geopolitics. Houthis did exactly that and put both Turkey and Pakistan in a tough spot.

Many commentators in Pakistan had to take the cover behind the requirement of Senate approval before any boots on grounds could be put. A flimsy and weak argument considering Munir’s total control over all the matters that he wishes to control.

If the reports of Saudi seeking Israeli support are true then it reflects even more badly for Pakistan and Turkey. US openly turned down the request for an active intervention against Houthis. What was Pakistan doing all this while? Wasn’t there an existing pact it had with the Saudi’s? Couldn’t they provide any assistance under that?

This is unlikely to have gone unnoticed in Saudi. Munir would have to pull a rabbit out of hat to salvage this pct and make it useful - for getting flow of money from Saudis and also military support in case of a conflict with India.

 

[Fatman17]

Makkah alliance military chiefs vow to ‘immediately’ translate commitments into effective military cooperation: ISPR

Military chiefs review security situation and threats facing Saudi Arabia and strongly "resented" attacks targeting the holy city of Makkah.

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Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye have expressed a shared determination to “immediately translate” their commitments under the Makkah Defence Alliance into effective military cooperation, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Saturday.

The commitment was made at a meeting of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir and the chiefs of general staff of Saudi Arabia and Turkiye in Riyadh on Friday.

The meeting took place against the backdrop of heightened security concerns in the kingdom, with the Houthis and the Yemeni government engaged in renewed fighting. The Houthis have declared a maritime blockade targeting Saudi Arabia and attacked ships in the Red Sea, while also carrying out attacks in Saudi Arabia in recent weeks.

 

[VickyIndian]

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye have expressed

Expressed may not be good enough in the current situation. Saudi needs action as of yesterday.

Due to heightened scrutiny by the world media, there is an immense pressure on Turkey as well as Pakistan. They might have to take some action to avoid this pact looking like dud, even before the ink dried on it.

There is still a possibility to salvage it. Making statements is definitely not the way to do it. Pakistan would have to weigh the pros and cons to get into this fight with Houthis. A difficult situation.
Let’s see if Munir pulls out a trick as he as been doing since he became the AM.

 

[Fatman17]

SCO meeting to begin in Islamabad under Pakistan's chairmanship on Monday: FO​

Session to contribute to preparations for SCO Council of Heads of State meeting that Pak will host in August 2027

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Web DeskSeptember 27, 20262 min read

Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) leaders sign the Bishkek Declaration on the organisation's 25th anniversary. — ANADOLU AGENCY

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Pakistan is set to hold the first meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) Council of National Coordinators (CNC) under its chairmanship in Islamabad from Monday, with the three-day session set to contribute to preparations for the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting that Pakistan will host in August 2027, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Sunday.
According to a statement on X, the meeting will be held from September 28 to 30 and will be chaired by Pakistan’s National Coordinator for the SCO, with national coordinators from SCO member states and representatives of the SCO Secretariat in attendance.
www.tribune.com.pk

 

[Fatman17]

Himalayan diplomacy: A new frontier for Pakistan–Nepal climate cooperation

Islamabad and Kathmandu's futures are tied together by ice, water and risk, and neither can afford to go it alone.

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Somewhere above 4,500 metres in Gilgit-Baltistan, a glacier that has fed the Indus for millennia is losing ice faster than at any point since scientists began keeping records.

A thousand kilometres to the east, in the Khumbu region of Nepal, the same story is unfolding on the slopes below Everest.

Two countries, separated by India’s landmass and decades of diplomatic distance, are quite literally standing on the same melting ground.

It is time Islamabad and Kathmandu recognised what geography has been telling them all along: their futures are tied together by ice, water and risk, and neither can afford to keep looking at the mountains alone.

The numbers are no longer abstract.

 

[Fatman17]

3-5 pakistani merchant navy sailors are reported killed in a rescue attempt. Report remains unconfirmed.

 

[Fatman17]

*EDITORIAL:* Five months after Somali pirates captured an oil tanker carrying a 19-member multinational crew, Somali maritime police have recovered the vessel off the coast of Puntland.

The Foreign Office has confirmed five casualties — out of the 10 Pakistani seamen, three have died with four wounded during the rescue operation; a total of five sailors lost their lives.

*Read more:* www.dawn.com/news/2033916

 

[Fatman17]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/2106202512206213427

Pakistan sent four planeloads of weapons to Saudi-backed government in Yemen: Report

Pakistani military advisors are deployed with Saudi counterparts to support the Yemeni government

www.middleeasteye.net

 

[Fatman17]

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/pakistan-says-mecca-pact-members-hold-emergency-talks-engaging-houthis-2026-10-02/

ISLAMABAD, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Pakistan's foreign minister said Iran has suggested engaging Yemen's Houthis politically after attacks by the group, an idea a committee of the Mecca defence pact will discuss at an emergency meeting in ‌Riyadh next week.
The proposal comes as Saudi Arabia, which has accused the Houthis of targeting Islam's two holiest cities, faces escalating attacks.
The Reuters Iran Briefing newsletter keeps you informed with the latest developments and analysis of the Iran war. Sign up here.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, the pact's three members, will decide next steps at the meeting, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told a news conference. He said the date would be confirmed later.

 

[Fatman17]

Yemen offensive

The best option, therefore, is for Muslim and Arab states to help restore the Saudi-Houthi ceasefire.

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IT appears that escalation is on the cards where the Houthi-Saudi and US-Iran conflicts are concerned. As per reports, Riyadh is planning an offensive to help the Yemeni government — which it backs — retake the strategically important Red Sea coast area from the pro-Iran Houthis, who captured it during a lightning offensive last month.

Hostilities are continuing; there were reports on Saturday of both Riyadh and Sana’a being attacked.

Meanwhile, members of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement are due to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the Yemen situation.

 

[Fatman17]

Pakistan’s Russian dilemma

Russia is likely to remain cautious about deepening its cooperation with Pakistan.

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Another miracle would be if Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the Islamabad SCO summit next year. Pakistan is more curious about this visit and hopes it may trigger a major shift in its geopolitics and ambitions in Central Asia, while influencing the regional discourse in ways that would irritate India.


Pakistan would be keen to enhance its defence cooperation with Russia, but particularly interested in making some progress on the much-discussed railway from Moscow to Islamabad and establishing a freight corridor using existing 7,000-kilometre-long railway networks, with Pakistan linked to Russia through Central Asia and/or Iran. Over the decades, Pakistan, the Central Asian states, and Iran have conceived many transnational projects, and each time with great enthusiasm, yet none has materialised. Afghanistan is always made to bear the burden of the blame because of its complex relationship with Pakistan.

Russia is likely to remain cautious about deepening its cooperation with Pakistan.

 

[Fatman17]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/2107367278769758438

 

[Fatman17]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/2107369231507407268

 

[Fatman17]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/2107093367410598243

 

[Fatman17]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/2108147938153115860

• Summary

• Pakistan agrees to rapidly deploy forces to Saudi Arabia with no involvement of parliament
• Military chief Munir commands all three services, with lifetime rank and immunity
• Government says "all necessary government procedures" followed, but gives no details
• Analysts say foreign role could further entrench army's power at home

 

[Fatman17]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/2107714695276978181

WITH confirmation that members of the Makkah Defence Alliance will be deploying their forces to Saudi Arabia, it appears that the kingdom is preparing for a full-scale war with the pro-Iran Houthi Ansarallah movement.

Senior civil and military leaders from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye met in Riyadh on Monday to chart a course forward. Though details are sparse, the three defence allies agreed to ensure “rapid deployment in the Kingdom, in accordance with … the national legislation of the parties.” As collective defence is a central pillar of the trilateral alliance, such developments were expected. Members of the MDA also condemned the attacks on Saudi Arabia, particularly alleged attempts to target the holy cities in Hejaz.


It is hoped that, from Pakistan’s perspective, these developments only reflect a commitment to defend Saudi Arabia from outside aggression. It would be ill-advised for Pakistan, Turkiye or any other external actor to jump into the Yemeni quagmire. Pakistan has decades-old defence ties to the kingdom, and the pact only reflects a solidification of this relationship. The defence of the holy cities is also a sensitive matter, and Pakistan has in the past contributed troops to protect them. But getting dragged into the Yemeni civil war — which has pit Ansarallah against the Yemeni government, backed by Saudi Arabia — is another story altogether. There was considerable pressure on Pakistan in 2015 from Riyadh to get involved in its operation against the Houthis. Pakistan, thanks to the collective wisdom of parliament, at that time had wisely stayed away from any such undertaking. Similar wisdom is required at this juncture. This country values its deep ties with Saudi Arabia, and should do all it can to protect the kingdom from external aggression. But putting Pakistani boots on the ground in Yemen should be avoided.

The fighting in Yemen, both between Ansarallah and the government, as well as between the Houthis and the Saudis, has intensified. At this point chances of a ceasefire seem remote. This conflict has been raging since 2015, and previous external attacks, including by the US and Israel, have failed to dislodge the Houthis.

To prevent a fresh humanitarian catastrophe within Yemen, as well as the spread of this conflict across the region, there is an immediate need to end the hostilities. States such as Oman, which has channels open both with the Houthis as well as Saudi Arabia, can perhaps play a mediatory role. The basic requirements of a truce should include an end to all attacks on Saudi Arabia, free passage through Bab al-Mandeb, as well as a halt to all external attacks across Yemen. Only a political process led by Yemenis, and acceptable to all factions in the country, can bring internal peace, as well as guarantee the security of neighbouring states.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2026

 

[Fatman17]

Pakistan rejects New York Times report claiming air force jets being used against Yemen's Houthis

A New York Times report published on Oct 7, a screenshot of which the ministry shared in an X post, cited an unnamed source as saying that PAF fighter jets were being employed against the group, amid the latter’s escalating conflict with Saudi Arabia.

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ISLAMABAD – The Ministry of Information dismissed on Thursday a news report claiming that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) aircraft were being used against the Yemen’s Houthis as “fake and fabricated”.

A New York Times report published on Oct 7, a screenshot of which the ministry shared in an X post, cited an unnamed source as saying that PAF fighter jets were being employed against the group, amid the latter’s escalating conflict with Saudi Arabia.

But the information ministry denied the report, saying in a post on X that the NYT story “attributing the employment of PAF aircraft against Houthis is fake and fabricated”.

“International media houses are again asked to avoid speculative reporting with regards to employment of Pakistan’s military forces under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.

“Details of any deployment, if necessary, will be given by the authorities concerned,” it added.

Earlier this week, the ministry also termed a Reuters report claiming the deployment of 30,000 to 40,000 Pakistani troops in Saudi Arabia as “speculative”.

The development comes after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye agreed to the deployment of military forces and capabilities rapidly in the kingdom during an emergency meeting of the Makkah Defence Alliance in Riyadh on Monday.

The defence pact, signed on Aug 7, aims to strengthen collective deterrence and empower its signatory states to treat an attack against one of them as an attack against all of them.

Monday’s meeting under the alliance was held to address the security developments and threats facing Saudi Arabia.

A statement issued by the Foreign Office after the meeting said the member states had “decided to move immediately to the practical implementation of the collective defence commitments and to take the necessary measures to provide the agreed military forces and capabilities and ensure their rapid deployment in the kingdom, in accordance with the approved arrangements and the national legislation of the parties, thereby enhancing readiness, military integration, and the collective capacity to confront and counter threats”.

Separately, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, who was part of Pakistan’s delegation in the meeting, joined Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’ via telephone the same day and said Saudi Arabia had made “gains and recovered some areas” in Yemen in the ongoing fighting with the Houthis.

Asked about a possible operational role by Pakistan and Turkiye, the defence minister replied that both nations had a “presence in theatre”, but only Saudi troops were involved in combat operations.

On Wednesday, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry also said Pakistani troops are in Saudi Arabia, adding that they had been in the kingdom “for decades” and across multiple domains.