THE ECONOMIC TURN: REASSESSING PAKISTAN'S FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES

Abstract

Pakistan, a South Asian nation, is strategically placed at the crossroads of international trade lines. Still, the sense of threats has always guided its foreign policy, and the country has maintained its status as a security state. Many factors contribute to a foreign policy that is security-driven, and many outcomes might be expected from this approach. This explanatory study primarily intends to return to Pakistan's foreign policy in order to change its trade and economic priorities from security-state to welfare-state. The focus of international relations is shifting from alliances driven by security concerns to interdependence based on economic factors. Through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Pakistan has a great chance to tap into its economic, political, and geopolitical power as well as its revenue potential. Pakistan has grown into a welfare state and a Great Power because to its strategic foreign policy, which is primarily focused on economic and commercial interests with neighbouring countries and areas. To sum up, Pakistan might follow Germany's example and transform from a security state into a welfare state.