The assessment comes almost ten years after Modi publicly pledged to isolate Pakistan following a 2016 attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) that left 18 Indian soldiers dead.
At a rally in Kerala at the time, Modi said India would intensify efforts to ensure Pakistan’s global isolation, stating that the country would be cut off internationally.
However, analysts now argue that Pakistan is far from isolated. Instead, it continues to maintain a close strategic partnership with China and has also re-established ties with the United States under President Donald Trump.
In the past year, both Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir have held meetings with Trump at the White House. Pakistan has also played a role in diplomatic engagement efforts involving the United States and Iran.
Analysts, as cited in the report, say this reflects Pakistan’s ability to leverage geopolitical developments and build influence among major global and regional actors.
Relations between Pakistan and India have remained largely frozen in recent years, with diplomatic channels stalled and tensions periodically flaring into border skirmishes and a brief conflict last year.
In May 2025, during an 87-hour escalation, Pakistan claimed it shot down eight Indian fighter jets, including French-made Rafales, along with additional aircraft and unmanned systems. The conflict ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States.
India maintained that the ceasefire resulted from bilateral understanding, while Trump repeatedly stated that Washington played a key role in brokering the truce and preventing further escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
The US president also offered to assist in resolving the Kashmir dispute, which has remained central to India-Pakistan tensions since 1947.
According to the report, Trump has repeatedly claimed on multiple occasions that he facilitated the ceasefire, and has echoed Pakistan’s account regarding aircraft losses during the conflict.
India’s limited response to these claims, analysts argue, has contributed to perceptions that Pakistan gained an advantage in shaping the international narrative around the crisis.
The report also notes that India struggled to convince the global community regarding Pakistan’s alleged involvement in the incident that triggered the May 2025 fighting.
Analysts further suggest that Modi’s reluctance to publicly acknowledge Trump’s mediation has created friction in US-India relations.
Pakistan, in contrast, acknowledged Trump’s role in securing the ceasefire and even nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize.
On the diplomatic front, Pakistan’s relations with Bangladesh have improved significantly following the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed, according to the report.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s longstanding partnership with China was further highlighted during last year’s conflict, including reported use of Chinese military equipment and systems.
India, on the other hand, has strengthened its alignment with Israel, becoming one of its key defence partners and major arms buyers, while also increasingly abstaining from UN resolutions critical of Tel Aviv.
This positioning, analysts say, has complicated India’s relations with several Gulf states at a time when Pakistan has expanded its security cooperation with members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
In the backdrop of conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, and regional tensions involving Israel, Gulf countries have reportedly sought to diversify security partnerships beyond reliance on the United States.
In September 2025, Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defence agreement with Pakistan, with reports suggesting that other regional countries, including Turkiye, may also consider joining similar arrangements.
Analysts say Pakistan’s perceived role during last year’s conflict further enhanced its image as a regional security partner, contributing to increased international interest in its defence capabilities.
