WASHINGTON: Former U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled a major recalibration of America’s ties with Pakistan following the four-day war between India and Pakistan in May 2025, praising Islamabad’s military prowess, diplomatic conduct, and technological capacity.
Speaking to American troops stationed in Qatar, Trump revealed that Pakistan’s deployment of “a different kind of missile” had forced India to seek a ceasefire, adding that the conflict had brought the region dangerously close to nuclear confrontation. He credited his intervention with averting a full-scale war and urged U.S. institutions to expand trade ties with Pakistan, calling its people “brilliant” and its products “cutting-edge.”
Trump’s remarks mark a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy, which had, for years, marginalized Pakistan in favor of strengthening ties with India. The May conflict, however, has dramatically changed geopolitical calculations, placing Pakistan once again at the center of regional dynamics.
India’s Miscalculation and Strategic Fallout
The conflict erupted after India launched missile strikes on Pakistani territory, blaming Islamabad for the Pahalgam attack without providing concrete evidence. This action was seen globally as a unilateral act of aggression. The crisis peeled back the veneer of India’s carefully cultivated image as a rising superpower and exposed the fragility of its militarized posture.
India’s decision to go on the offensive backfired diplomatically. Longtime allies and global powers—including the U.S., Russia, and European states—refused to back New Delhi. Even traditional partners in the Middle East withheld support, highlighting a new global skepticism toward India’s strategic decisions.
The revocation of Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution had already isolated India diplomatically and created unrest in the region. Its aggressive response to the Pahalgam attack—absent credible proof—was widely seen as an overreach. For the first time in years, global discourse shifted from painting Pakistan as the antagonist to questioning India’s motives and methods.
Pakistan’s Moment of Strategic Maturity
Pakistan’s response was measured yet formidable. Its military operations targeted Indian military assets with precision, avoiding civilian casualties and showcasing its advanced missile and electronic warfare systems. The Pakistani military’s performance drew praise for its combination of strategic restraint and technological sophistication.
Diplomatically, Islamabad engaged international media with transparency and confidence. Its leadership—from the Prime Minister to military spokespeople—presented factual briefings, a stark contrast to India’s defensive and tightly controlled messaging. Pakistan’s conduct enhanced its international credibility and moral standing.
Support from key nations like China and Turkey was vocal, while broader support came from Southeast Asia, Africa, and parts of Europe. Western powers, though cautious, acknowledged Pakistan’s professionalism by their neutrality during the conflict.
A Regional and Domestic Reawakening
Domestically, the conflict united Pakistan across ethnic and political lines. Opposition parties commended the government’s strategy, and public morale surged. The war reignited national pride and validated Pakistan’s long-standing demand for global attention to the Kashmir dispute.
Trump’s call for mediation—and his explicit mention of Kashmir as a peace imperative—offered Pakistan rare diplomatic leverage. As the narrative on South Asia evolves, Pakistan is repositioning itself not as a destabilizing force, but as a responsible stakeholder advocating regional peace.
India’s Political Fallout
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stature has taken a hit. Once celebrated as a strongman leader, Modi now faces growing opposition at home. Critics blame his confrontational foreign policy and use of military conflict for political gain. Civil society and independent media have called for accountability, signaling a turning point in Indian domestic politics.
The myth of India as a stabilizing superpower has been punctured. Its reliance on military escalation, disinformation, and regional hegemony appears increasingly untenable in the face of international scrutiny and diplomatic isolation.
A Geopolitical Turning Point
The May 2025 war may have lasted only four days, but its consequences will echo for decades. It exposed India’s vulnerabilities and elevated Pakistan’s stature on the world stage. More importantly, it reintroduced Kashmir into the global conversation—not as a forgotten conflict, but as a flashpoint demanding resolution.
As overseas Pakistani analyst Mubeen Ahmed Qureshi put it:
“This is not a time for complacency. Pakistan must use this moment to introspect, reform, and evolve—not just militarily, but politically, economically, and diplomatically. That’s how nations become global powers.”
The war redrew the strategic map of South Asia. In its aftermath, the world faces a new reality: Pakistan is no longer the problem—it is part of the solution. Unless India recalibrates its policies and rhetoric, it may find that its greatest adversary is not Islamabad—but its own hubris.
