Published on, Aug. 28 -- August 28, 2025 2:05 AM

When Field Marshal Asim Munir sat down for lunch at the White House this summer, the symbolism was lost on no one. For the first time in years, Washington treated Islamabad not as a junior partner in counterterrorism but as a central player in the evolving Asian order. That moment came against the backdrop of a simmering India-Pakistan crisis in May and a full-scale Iran-Israel conflict in June; two flashpoints that underscored the dangers of a multipolar, volatile neighbourhood.

The sudden rise in Pakistan's global profile invites a fresh look at century-old geopolitical maps. Early in the 20th century, British geographer Halford Mackinder sketched the idea of a "Heartland" pivot state, ...