Pakistan, Gaza, and the Case for Realist-Humanitarian Diplomacy

Pakistan’s engagement with the Gaza Board reflects a realist-humanitarian strategy that prioritizes influence, outcomes, and Palestinian rights over symbolic disengagement or diplomatic isolation.

As Gaza endures a prolonged humanitarian catastrophe, Pakistan’s decision to engage with the Board of Peace reflects a calculated shift from symbolic diplomacy to realist-humanitarianism. Rather than retreating into moral posturing, Islamabad has chosen presence as leverage, seeking to shape aid delivery, protect Palestinian priorities, and influence outcomes from within imperfect multilateral structures.

The Asymmetry at the Heart of the EU–India FTA

The EU–India FTA reveals a deep structural asymmetry, exposing Indian industry to European dominance while reinforcing dependency through tariffs, CBAM, and non-tariff barriers.

Presented as a landmark of global economic integration, the EU–India Free Trade Agreement masks a deeply unequal structure. While India dismantles protective tariffs central to its industrial base, European firms retain advantages through subsidies, non-tariff barriers, and green protectionism. Rather than enabling industrial upgrading, the deal risks locking India into a dependent trade pattern, importing high-value capital goods while exporting low-value products, undermining the very logic of Make in India.