RECENT developments between the United States and Iran remind us that global diplomacy often relies on actors who do not make headlines. Pakistan’s ability to maintain communication channels across rival states has once again high-lighted its strategic relevance.

While it is not the loudest or the richest player, it has cultivated relationships over decades that allow it to act where others cannot.

This is a pattern, not an accident. From facilitating backchannel communication in 1971 between Henry Kissinger and China, to supporting indirect engagement during Afghanistan’s recent transitions, Pakistan has consistently operated in the space where formal diplomacy struggles. Its position allows it to serve as a bridge, a country both sides can reach when direct dialogue is impossible.

The important takeaway is that this influence is quiet and persistent, and, based on trust, it is a kind of power in itself. Pakistan may not dominate globally, but it has made itself necessary. The real question is whether this external relevance can translate into internal progress.

The networks, credibility and strategic positioning Pakistan has built could become the foundation of stronger institutions, economic growth and social stability at home if the country’s leadership chooses to invest in the country’s people as dedi-catedly as they manage foreign relation.

Memoona Masoom
Karachi

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2026