https://arab.news/zzznm

In the past year, Pakistan has emerged as a country not just strategically relevant and part of the South Asian political chessboard, but also one that is becoming increasingly intertwined in the geopolitics and security dynamics of the broader Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region-- even the Horn of Africa. This Pakistani involvement in regional security affairs and the defense calculus of various regional actors is not slated to be a short-term engagement and is likely to develop into long term bilateral and multi-lateral partnerships. This development necessitates overhauling the infrastructure of knowledge production and policy making vis-à-vis MENA in order to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of this region, its states and societies and evolving security dynamics.

Pakistan has remained anchored in the political and regional security dynamics of South Asia since its independence. Yet, the country also joined middle eastern countries to form the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO), a security alliance meant to curtail Soviet influence in the Middle East. After the creation of Bangladesh in 1971, Pakistan practically became a West Asian country and its relationship with Middle Eastern states and the broader Muslim World became even more significant. Pakistan became a prominent member of the Saudi-led Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a Pan-Islamic........

© Arab News Pakistan