THE battlefield is no longer military. Security competition today operates simultaneously through military power, economics, technology, information, narratives and diplomacy. A conflict thousands of kilometers away can affect a state’s economy, public perceptions, political discourse and domestic stability without a single hostile soldier crossing its borders. The battlefield is increasingly the connected national system and the human mind.

Pakistan’s security landscape is evolving, with the boundaries between external and internal threats increasingly blurred. India’s evolving strategic posture, instability in Afghanistan, tensions involving Iran and the Gulf and emerging regional security arrangements may be geographically distinct, but their implications increasingly converge. Consequently, Pakistan’s western and eastern frontier, maritime environment and strategic landscape must be viewed as interconnected dimensions of a security challenge.

Pakistan occupies a strategic position. It is important to China; increasingly relevant to Saudi Arabia and Türkiye; geographically vital to the Gulf and Central Asia; engaged with Iran; confronted by India and affected by developments in Afghanistan. Above all, its relevance to the emerging global security architecture cannot be denied. This geography creates diplomatic leverage and strategic opportunities, but strategic relevance does not automatically translate into strategic autonomy. Economic dependence, security partnerships, regional rivalries and domestic political priorities constrain its room for manoeuvre.

Regional and global developments that once appeared distinct are increasingly converging, with implications for Pakistan’s internal security. The........

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