Is Pakistan entering a once in a generation moment?

January 16, 2026 (MLN):  Pakistan appears to be entering a rare moment of strategic opportunity as global geopolitical alignments shift and long-standing power structures come under pressure.

Developments ranging from political upheaval in Venezuela and continued instability in Iran to rising tensions involving the Middle East are reshaping how major powers deploy influence.

As global uncertainty rises, countries with security capacity, manufacturing depth and regional reach are gaining renewed relevance and Pakistan is increasingly one of them.

A central feature of the current global landscape is the recalibration of United States foreign policy.

Rather than engaging in prolonged nation-building efforts, Washington is favoring limited but decisive interventions, coupled with pressure on regional powers to assume greater responsibility for their own security.

This approach has been visible in Latin America, the Middle East and beyond, and it has accelerated the emergence of new regional security frameworks.

The implications for emerging markets, including Pakistan, were explored during a recent KTrade Research webinar on global power realignment.

For Pakistan, this shift has particular significance in the Middle East. Gulf states, led by Saudi Arabia and increasingly coordinated with Turkey, are rethinking their long-term defence and security arrangements.

Years of conflict in Ukraine have exposed serious strains in Western defence supply chains, prompting regional actors to seek reliable alternatives that can deliver equipment, maintenance and munitions without long delays.

Pakistan’s defence manufacturing capacity and operational experience have therefore moved back into strategic focus.

This growing security role carries economic implications that extend well beyond arms sales.

Defence cooperation is increasingly tied to co-production, industrial localization and technology partnerships.

These arrangements require supply chains, skilled labor, research and long-term capital investment.

 If developed strategically, they could help Pakistan move away from a narrow export base dominated by textiles and low-value goods toward more durable, higher-value industrial activity.

At the same time, global supply-chain realignment is creating additional openings.

 As companies seek alternatives to concentrated production hubs in East Asia, countries offering competitive energy costs and labour are gaining attention.

Security challenges remain, particularly along Pakistan’s western border.

Prolonged uncertainty in Iran and Afghanistan risks the expansion of militant safe havens, which could increase pressure on domestic security and complicate regional engagement.

Managing these risks while maintaining constructive ties with neighbors will be critical to sustaining any broader strategic gains.

The larger risk, however, lies at home. Pakistan has historically struggled to convert geopolitical relevance into lasting economic reform.

Short-term inflows and political comfort have often taken precedence over investment in productivity, industrial ecosystems and export diversification.

Repeating that pattern would squander a moment that may not return soon.

What distinguishes the current period is the convergence of factors. Pakistan finds itself aligned with shifting US priorities, rising Gulf security needs, and a global search for new supply-chain partners a combination rarely seen in recent decades.

The opportunity is real, but so is the test.

The question facing Pakistan is no longer whether the world is changing in its favour. It is whether the country can finally change fast enough to take advantage of it.

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