Islamabad: Pakistan needs to adopt nuanced and adaptive policies to safeguard its interests in an increasingly fragmented and competitive international order in the backdrop of United States’ National Security Strategy (NSS) 2025 that reflects a realist, transactional push to preserve American dominance, the speakers said at a roundtable discussion hosted by Islamabad based think-tank, the Center for International Strategic Studies (CISS), here Monday.
The event brought together senior diplomats and scholars to examine the priorities and implications of the US NSS-2025 under President Donald Trump.Participants were of the view that the document signals a shift away from values-led multilateralism toward competitive statecraft, with far-reaching consequences for regional stability and Pakistan’s foreign policy choices.
In his opening remarks, Pakistan’s former envoy for Austria Ali Sarwar Naqvi said the strategy had been unveiled against an already complex environment marked by intensifying US — China rivalry, the militarisation of the Asia — Pacific and evolving alliance structures, all of which directly affect South Asian strategic stability and deterrence dynamics and Pakistan’s foreign policy options.
“The emphasis on technological dominance, economic statecraft, and security partnerships further underscores the need for nuanced policy responses from middle powers including Pakistan to navigate an increasingly fragmented international order,” he added.
Dr. Nouman Sattar of Quaid-i-Azam University said the NSS 2025 codifies President Trump’s worldview, rooted in realist logic and aimed at reasserting US preeminence and constraining multipolar trends. He said the strategy prioritises national interest and competition over values-driven internationalism.
