For the better part of the last twenty years, whenever the world thought of Pakistan, the focus was usually on terrorism, political chaos and a struggling economy. Naturally, this bad press made investors nervous and left the country's diplomats with very little room to manoeuvre. Lately, however, the narrative has started to shift. Pakistan is quietly adopting a much more flexible foreign policy, working hard to balance its relationships with competing global powers.

A perfect example of this was Pakistan's role during the recent flare-ups between the United States and Iran. Even though Washington and Tehran couldn't be further apart, Pakistan actually managed to keep a working relationship with both and helped keep the lines of communication open. We shouldn't exaggerate Pakistan as a master peacemaker, but the fact that it stayed relevant - and trusted - in such a tense, polarised standoff says a lot about its diplomatic agility.

If you look at how global politics works today, a country's power isn't just measured by the size of its economy or its military. It's also about "soft power" - the ability to build trust, maintain credibility and influence outcomes. By stepping up to mediate between bitter rivals, Pakistan is showing that it can use strategic........

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