US expert: Pakistan’s regional influence growing as India’s strategy faces setbacks

Pakistan’s military and diplomatic position in the region has strengthened, while India’s efforts to limit Islamabad’s regional influence appear to be becoming less effective, US foreign policy expert Daniel Markey has said.

In an interview with Indian news platform The Wire, Markey highlighted growing cooperation between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye as an important development for Islamabad, The Nation cites.

He said Pakistan’s expanding ties with Gulf countries were making it increasingly difficult for India to keep Islamabad isolated from the Middle East. Closer trilateral cooperation between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye could strengthen Pakistan’s defence capabilities, financial support and regional influence, he added.

According to Markey, Pakistan’s expanding network of regional partnerships is placing constraints on India’s diplomatic reach, military room for manoeuvre and access to the Gulf.

Markey noted that India had invested billions of dollars in developing strategic relationships in the Middle East. However, he said Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts were helping the country re-establish itself as an important regional power.

He said stronger cooperation between Pakistan and its regional partners could make India more cautious about taking military action or making risky moves along the border. He also said the development challenged the narrative that Pakistan’s role in regional affairs had declined.

Markey further argued that Pakistan’s nuclear, conventional and advanced technological defence capabilities remained a major challenge to any attempt by India to establish unilateral dominance in the region.

He said India’s strategy of applying diplomatic pressure on Pakistan was, in effect, contributing to Islamabad’s growing importance in regional affairs.

Markey also pointed to Pakistan’s historical role in managing regional crises, citing its battle-tested military and its strategic value during the two-decade conflict in Afghanistan.

By Sabina Mamamdli