Pakistan, June 11 -- For too long, Pakistan's diplomatic presence on the global stage has been characterised by defensive reactions and a struggle to control its narrative. This week, however, as former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari touched down in London, Washington and New York, a palpable shift occurred. He arrived not with the usual ceremonial red folders and pre-packaged talking points, but with an unmistakable sense of purpose, delivering a clarity and coherence that redefined Pakistan's engagement: no longer reactive, but purposeful and no longer apologetic, but assertive.

At the Pakistani High Commission in London, Bilawal moved quickly from warm reassurances to hard substance. He called for "common-sense diplomacy on t...