Pakistan, May 6 -- Weeks after the Trump administration slapped aggressive tariffs (ranging from 24% to 49%) on Southeast Asian exports, ASEAN's response has been anything but reactionary. Under Malaysia's chairmanship, the bloc has opted for strategic dialogue over retaliatory noise: a lesson in restraint that deserves attention in Islamabad.

Vietnam, staring down a 46% tariff, immediately recalibrated. Instead of sabre-rattling, it expanded its trade footprint and deepened ties with alternate markets. Thailand quietly adjusted its tariffs to stay competitive, choosing pragmatism over performative outrage. These are real-time diplomatic manoeuvres driven by economic sense and political maturity.

Pakistan, on the other hand, finds itsel...