Pakistanithinktank
Registered Member
In geopolitics, there are no permanent friends and no permanent enemies, only permanent interests. We learn this lesson repeatedly, yet somehow we keep forgetting it.
States behave according to what benefits them in that moment, not according to emotional loyalty or historical sentiment. Pakistan’s foreign relationships are a perfect example of this reality.
Relationship with Uncle Sam
The U.S.–Pakistan relationship has always been transactional.
- When Washington needs Pakistan: Cold War, Afghan jihad, War on Terror, the relationship warms up.
- When strategic priorities shift, Pakistan becomes an afterthought. There is cooperation, pressure, aid, sanctions, praise, criticism, all depending on American interests at the time.
Relationship with UAE
UAE treats Pakistan as a brotherly nation when interests align, and as a business partner when they don’t.
- Investments rise and fall based on regional stability.
- Diplomatic warmth fluctuates with Pakistan’s internal politics.
- Labor policies tighten or loosen depending on UAE’s economic cycles.
Relationship with Saudi Arabia
This relationship is often romanticized, but in reality, it has never been perfect. It has always had ups and downs.
A clear example during Imran Khan’s government, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly expressed frustration and even threatened to send Pakistani workers home, a reminder that even “brotherly” ties are governed by interests, not emotions.
Saudi Arabia expects alignment on regional politics, security cooperation, and economic stability. When Pakistan deviates, Riyadh recalibrates.
Relationship with China
China is often described as Pakistan’s “iron brother,” but even this relationship is rooted in interests, not sentiment.- China needs strategic access to the Arabian Sea.
- China needs stability for CPEC and Belt & Road.
- China needs a counterweight to India.
Even the closest partnerships in geopolitics are interest-driven.
Currently China as country is not happy with Pakistan's economic, security situation and difficulty in making loan repayment.
Relationship with Bangladesh
Pakistan’s relationship with Bangladesh is shaped by history, but governed by present-day interests.
- Bangladesh is rising economically.
- It is building its own defense industry.
- It is diversifying partnerships, China, India, Gulf states.
This is not hostility, it’s sovereignty.
Pakistan’s biggest mistake wasn’t Afghanistan; it was Pakistan’s own blindness. We handed out entry passes without documentation, opened borders without strategy, and allowed millions to settle without any long‑term plan. This wasn’t generosity. This was a blunder by the Pakistani government and the establishment.”
“This is what happens when you give a blind man a driving license and a free car. He doesn’t know what to do, so he drives based on whatever noises he hears.”
That blind driver was Pakistan’s policy elite.
Pakistan must stop emotional reactions and start acting like a sovereign state. Document everyone. Regulate borders. Deport illegal criminals. End the ‘brotherly’ illusions. Build policy based on interests, not nostalgia.
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