Today, world democracies are facing challenges from rising forces of intolerance. Most democracies are in despair and need to fix their weaknesses. On the other hand, multiple events in the backdrop of international drama are still happening. The US supremacy as a superpower is declining. In the East, China has emerged as an economic superpower, whereas Russia has been modernising and consolidating its military strength. It is the battle between emerging powers and the existing world order.
The emerging Asian economies will divert the flow of the global economy from West to East, making the 21st century an Asian century. In other words, it can be said that superpowers so far will be replaced by new powers.
At this point, Pakistan needs to see where it has to stand. Our deep relations with China are not welcomed by the US, as US-China rivalry has already transformed the geopolitical Asian strategic landscape. We have to prepare the nation to bear the hardships which may be imposed by the US by adopting a policy contrary to their wishes. Countries like Pakistan need national cohesion and a very strong, prudent, and sensible leadership. The power imbalance in South Asia caused by the rapidly developing Indo-US partnership leaves Pakistan with no choice but to build up its own strategic, political, and economic cooperation with China and develop ties with Russia.
Pakistan faces economic challenges and relies on external support, struggling with potential instability fuelled by extremism and socioeconomic discontent due to governance issues. To overcome external pressures, Pakistan must achieve political stability and economic strength. Pakistan can benefit from the changing world order, once it puts its own house in order. At the same time, Pakistan needs to abandon the mindset that being one nation’s ally implies being another nation’s enemy. It needs to embrace a more cooperative approach in order to rise above its issues.
SHAFI AHMED KHOWAJA,
Hyderabad.
