"Last month, Pakistan signed a defence agreement with Saudi Arabia. Under this bold pact, an attack on one will be regarded as an attack on both, a dramatic escalation of security guarantees in a region already crowded with rivalries. At the same time, Islamabad has quietly dispatched rare earth mineral samples to the United States and is exploring deeper export agreements. Washington, for its part, appears newly interested in treating Pakistan as more than a peripheral irritant."
"Washington's abrupt exit left a vacuum it still struggles to fill. With a hostile Iran and an entrenched Taliban, the US needs a counterweight in the region. Pakistan, with its geography, intelligence networks and long entanglement in Afghan affairs, suddenly matters again. If that gambit fails, Pakistan becomes the obvious fallback: the only state with both logistical capacity and political connections to help Washington maintain a presence in the region."
Pakistan secured a defence pact with Saudi Arabia under which an attack on one will be treated as an attack on both, intensifying regional security commitments. Islamabad also sent rare earth mineral samples to the United States and is pursuing deeper export agreements, prompting renewed US interest. The US withdrawal from Afghanistan created a strategic vacuum and increased Pakistan's importance because of its location, intelligence capabilities and Afghan ties. Washington views Pakistan as a potential logistical and political partner to maintain influence in the region. The diplomatic momentum reflects pressure-driven pivots and shifting alignments rather than a sudden transformation of Pakistan's global role.
#pakistan-foreign-policy #saudi-pakistan-defence-pact #us-afghanistan-withdrawal #rare-earth-minerals
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