Dr. Muhammad Jahanzaib’s book argues that Pakistan’s post-2008 foreign policy marks an incomplete yet clear shift from pure geopolitics toward geo-economics. Through neo-liberal and complex interdependence lenses, interviews and data on initiatives and bilateral ties, it shows security and economic interests remain intertwined rather than sequential.
Book Review:
For over a decade, there has been a debate going on in Pakistan’s foreign policy circles: the shift from geo-strategy to geo-economics? Is it real or is it not? The book “The Interplay of Geopolitics and Geo-Economics in Pakistan’s Foreign Policy (Post-2008)” by Dr. Muhammad Jahanzaib published by Palgrave MacMillan (Springer Nature) revolves around this central question: “Has Pakistan actually shifted its foreign policy from a security-central state to an economic-central state? Or does geopolitics still shape foreign policies, even when economics leads the conversation?
The book portrays the neo-liberal and complex interdependence lens application at Pakistan’s ties with the major powers, its neighbors, and the Muslim world altogether. The central argument is that Pakistan has undergone a clear but incomplete foreign policy reorientation. From traditional dominance of geopolitical concerns like the Kashmir issue, the India-Pakistan rivalry, and alignments with the major powers, the Cold War, and the War on Terror have gradually given way to a stronger emphasis on economic diplomacy, regional connectivity, and geo-economic statecraft. This can be seen through the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the NSP 2022, and the establishment of institutions like the Special Investment Facilitation Council. The research is qualitative and interview-based. The author spoke with a wide range of people, including ambassadors, economists, bankers, military officials, bureaucrats, and religious scholars. He also used government documents and materials from institutions like the IMF, World Bank, and OIC. It brings the voices of people and institutions who shape the policy.
The book is organized into seven chapters. The first one gives us the introduction, situating the research within existing literature, lays out the theoretical framework, and outlines the methodology. In chapter two, Dr. Jahanzaib traces the evolution of Pakistan’s foreign policy from 1947 independence to 2008, highlighting the dominance of geopolitics and geostrategic imperatives during the Cold War, the Soviet-Afghan conflict, and the post-9/11 War on Terror period. Chapter three focuses on the conceptual foundations of geo-economic reorientation, analyzing the theoretical and strategic logic that led Pakistan to turn towards economic diplomacy. In chapters four and five, the author develops the core of the book: examining the interplay of geopolitics and geo-economics in Pakistan’s bilateral relations with major powers, neighboring states, and the Muslim world in the post-2008 period, while the latter looks at what this shift actually produced and impacted after 2015. In chapter six, Dr. Jahanzaib clearly structures the analysis of Pakistan’s national imperatives, constraints, and potentials within this evolving landscape, and chapter seven closes with policy recommendations.
The theoretical framework draws on Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye’s concepts of complex interdependence and liberal institutionalism, interpreting Pakistan’s foreign policy developments through the lens of economic cooperation, economic diplomacy, and institutional engagements.
In chapters four and five, the very outstanding contribution, Dr. Jahanzaib develops the empirical depth. He examines Pakistan’s bilateral relations with the United States, China, Russia, India, Afghanistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, the GCC states, the Central Asian Republics, and African Muslim countries in detail. The inclusion of economic indicators like trade volumes, bilateral investment figures, CPEC-related agreements, free trade frameworks, and remittance flows strengthens the empirical depth that is often missing in the existing literature related to Pakistan’s foreign policy.
The analysis of China-Pakistan relations must be highlighted. The author carefully traces the evolution from the Cold War period to the contemporary phase defined by CPEC, energy cooperation, and the emerging Digital Silk Road. The discussion of debt sustainability concerns and the triangular dynamics involving India reflects an understanding of how geo-economic cooperation and geopolitical alignment remain simultaneously interconnected. It also examines the evolving nature of Pakistan’s ties with the United States, moving from a security and aid-based relationship toward one with a growing economic dimension. Its coverage of Pakistan-Russia relations adds a useful perspective, given how little has been written on this pairing so far.
By the end of the book, Dr. Jahanzaib turns from diagnosis to direction, offering recommendations by arguing that Pakistan needs to make more alliances, invest efficiently in its people, strengthen its domestic governance, and engage more on regional platforms.
Overall, the book brings together different areas of Pakistan’s foreign policy under a single framework, rather than treating them as separate case studies. Its central argument, that geopolitics and geo-economics move together rather than compete, is supported throughout the book by interviews and source materials. For students, scholars, diplomats, policy makers and researchers working on Pakistan’s foreign policy and in the related fields, the book offers a useful, wide-ranging point on how economic and strategic interests shape the country’s foreign policy.
* Tayyaba Naseer is a graduate from Government College University, Lahore. She has completed BS in International Relations, with the thesis focusing on Pakistan’s shift from geo-strategy to geo-economics. Currently, she is an intern at Diamanium Thinkers (A Global Think Tank). She chooses to write about the most significant human emotions and the world we live in. She is passionate about unearthing the hidden conspiracies that shape our world and how each of us is interlinked in this intricate web.