A new global power realignment is underway and South Asia is no exception.

The growing influence of the Global South and the changing posture of the West are reshaping the politics and priorities of South Asian states. Middle-power countries are asserting themselves in the post-unipolar world order, while Africa, long subjugated, is beginning to resist old structures. These global shifts cannot be ignored, even as the West attempts to resist them.

Pakistan is realigning to address emerging challenges amid a shifting global order. The geo-political lines are clear: the South Bloc led by China and BRICS on one side and the United States and the West on the other. Doctrines, war concepts and strategic thinking are evolving rapidly. The recent Trump–Xi meeting underscores the end of the unipolar world and the rise of a multipolar era. The Global South has established parallel financial institutions and is moving toward de-dollarization, threatening the US-led financial system. Even SWIFT faces potential alternatives, while US industries struggle under shrinking financial space, emerging South Bloc platforms and the looming risk of tariffs.

In South Asia, Pakistan must recalibrate its diplomacy, defence doctrine and military strategy to safeguard national interests, as the old order is no longer viable. Breaking free from the IMF and World Bank is essential. This requires cutting operational and administrative costs, halting cosmetic political projects and limiting bureaucratic control over industry to regulatory oversight, fostering an investment-friendly environment. Reducing taxes and le-vies on gas, electricity and petroleum is critical to lower production costs. Traders and industries struggle under excessive taxation, while pervasive corruption........

© Pakistan Observer