By Azka Amin Fatima

The May 2025 confrontation between India and Pakistan alarmed the very foundations of the presumptions made about the strategic future of South Asia which was once dominated by Indian unipolarity. Various U.S. administrations had considered India as a counterweight to China’s increasing influence. In return, they provided India with a range of strategic, diplomatic, and economic benefits.

The situation at Pahalgam in May 2025 completely changed the viewpoint with its impacts. Indian occupied Kashmir witnessed a terrorist attack, and India responded to it with airstrikes targeting the supposed terrorists’ camps in Pakistan. Pakistan’s military response was proportionate yet strong and did not allow the myth of total Indian superiority to persist any longer.

Major world powers engaged in diplomatic pressure that eventually led to a ceasefire to the Pahalgam crisis. Pakistan’s ability to maintain its defense and to create international engagement changed the perception of the regional power balance. The United States, ascribed itself a more sophisticated role, gradually intervening in the ceasefire talks at India’s own suggestion. This was the very moment which was viewed by some experts as a reduction in India’s unilateral power.

The cooperation with foreign intelligence partners and the public recognition given by international military authorities had a positive effect on Pakistan’s reputation. This increased Pakistan’s relevance in South Asia. Pakistan was now being called a ‘responsible regional actor’ instead of a pariah. Pakistan is not seen as a security problem anymore but is believed to be a stabilizer. This crisis brought to the surface again the presence of Pakistan as a diplomatic and normative power in the area.

The clash once again placed the unresolved status of Kashmir under the global spotlight and contributed to the internationalization of the Kashmir issue. It reasserted the perception of Kashmir as a nuclear flashpoint and strengthened Pakistan’s Kashmir policy. The Pakistani government, as always, insisted on a multi-party discussion where the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) would take part. This position coincided with the global powers’ concerns over the conflict’s turning point.

The assistance of Pakistan for the international involvement in Kashmir issue resulted in moving the diplomatic discourse out of the purely bilateral frame into one which recognizes international stakes. The proposals of global figures, such as Trump, to mediate the dispute, even if not leading to actual negotiations, point out that Kashmir is now recognized as an unresolved global issue rather than a sealed bilateral dispute. This change embodies a substantial diplomatic victory for Pakistan’s foreign policy, no matter the immediate results.

The reestablishment of bipolarity has been a blessing to Pakistan’s Kashmir policy. The conflicts between India and Pakistan have attracted the attention of world powers and have become one of the main factors in their strategic computations. The world has recognized that the situation in Kashmir has repercussions beyond South Asia. This is particularly because of the nuclear element. Thus, it has granted Pakistan the opportunity to present its legal and moral claims in the court of international opinion. The conflict has brought to the fore the issue of security in the region being linked to the Kashmir dispute. Thus, it made easier for Pakistan to demand a multilateral solution through the application of international law and the principle of self-determination.

The Pahalgam incident of May 2025 was a turning point in South Asian geopolitics. The event highlighted the bipolar nature of the security scenario in South Asia and made Pakistan the focus of strategic importance. The conflict also drew the Kashmir dispute back to the world’s attention and assisted in making Pakistan’s Kashmir policy stronger. The recognition of cross-border dangers between the two nuclear armed states ensures that these tensions will be a key determinant for South Asian stability and Kashmir issue.