American magazines say firm military leadership helped restore state authority in 2025
Prominent US media outlets have portrayed Pakistan as a major beneficiary of former US President Donald Trump’s foreign policy reset, while casting India as having lost strategic ground.
An assessment published by Foreign Policy said the power dynamics in Washington shifted in Islamabad’s favour, describing the development as a notable strategic resurgence for Pakistan.
The magazine noted that Pakistan succeeded in rebuilding credibility and access in Washington—an achievement that has eluded even some long-time US partners—re-establishing itself as a reliable and effective ally for the United States.
Separately, The Diplomat identified Pakistan as a focal point of global attention in 2025 after spending several years on the margins of international diplomacy.
According to the publication, 2025 marked a period of strategic revival and renewed confidence for Pakistan’s military establishment.
The Diplomat specifically applauded Pakistan’s military leadership for issuing an unambiguous message against extremism, stressing that the authority to declare jihad rests exclusively with the state.
The magazine described this position by the army chief as a critical moment in countering extremism, saying it reinforced state authority and removed ambiguity from national policy.
The analysis further observed that throughout 2025, Pakistan’s military leadership played a key role in asserting the writ of the state and safeguarding national interests.
It added that Pakistan’s armed forces successfully pushed back against Indian military actions, bolstered strategic credibility and deterrence, and improved the country’s international standing.
During the same period, the publication said, India’s ties with Washington experienced noticeable strain.
The Diplomat also highlighted Pakistan’s defence diplomacy in the Middle East as a significant strategic achievement, pointing in particular to a major mutual defence agreement with Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, Foreign Policy reported that Pakistan steadily and decisively restored its influence in Washington during the Trump years, altering the regional diplomatic equation.
The magazine said Pakistan not only reclaimed its space in US policymaking circles but also projected greater influence.
It added that the improvement in bilateral relations was partly driven by direct engagement at senior levels, including interactions between top US officials and Pakistan’s military leadership.
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