From Frontline State to Geo-economics Pivot: The Evolution of Pakistan's Foreign Policy, 1979 to the Present

Abstract

Since 1979, the foreign policy of Pakistan represents an interesting case for study in the field of international relations literature related to the Global South. This paper seeks to provide a theory-informed and chronologically organized historical examination of the involvement of Pakistan into global geographies of power from its inception as a frontline state in the era of the Cold War, through the Afghan-Soviet War (1979-1989), until its present-day pivot in geo-economics through CPEC and multipolar hedging (2011-present). The three main theoretical paradigms in this case that will be sought to be triangulated through the analysis are those of Structural Realism, which explains Pakistan’s resort to external balancing and deterrence strategy; Neoliberal Institutionalism, which explains the role played by Pakistan in the context of multilateral economic regimes; and Constructivism, which puts forth the ideational influences—such as the two-nation theory, civil-military disparity, and security-based national identity—that have restricted the strategic options available at each step along the way. The sources used in the paper will be from peer-reviewed journals in the years 2020-2024, along with two papers from the year 2026 owing to their relevance to the dynamics of the situation after 2021.