Foreign relations of Pakistan
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan emerged as an independent country through the partition of India in August 1947 and was admitted as a United Nations member state in September 1947. It is currently the second-largest country within the Muslim world in terms of population, and is also the only Muslim-majority country in possession of nuclear weapons.[1][2][3] De facto, the country shares direct land borders with India, Iran, Afghanistan, and China.
The country has extensive trade relations with the European Union[4] and with several countries globally.[5] As of 2023, Pakistan does not recognize two other United Nations member states (Armenia and Israel) and its ties with India remain frozen since 2019.[6][7]
From a geopolitical perspective, Pakistan's location is strategically important as it is situated at the crossroads of major maritime and land transit routes between the Middle East and South Asia, while also serving as a bridge between the Arabian Sea and the energy-rich regions of Central Asia.[8][9] Since the partition of India, the Kashmir conflict has defined the India–Pakistan relationship: the two countries claim each other's zones of control in Kashmir, but are separated by a ceasefire boundary known as the Line of Control.[10] Pakistan has close bilateral ties with China and the Muslim world, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf Arab countries.[11] As a part of the First World during the Cold War, Pakistan closely cooperated with the United States to combat the global influence of the Soviet Union,[12] though this relationship later became strained over the course of the War on Terror.[13] Pakistan is an active member of the Commonwealth of Nations, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.