NAVIGATING MULTIPOLAR FAULT LINES: PAKISTAN'S LEGAL AND TACTICAL DIPLOMACY AMIDST REGIONAL CONFLICTS AND GLOBAL POWER SCUFFLES

Abstract

The accelerating shift toward a multipolar international order has reshaped the global legal landscape, producing fragmented enforcement, contested norms, and asymmetrical power structures that weaken the authority of traditional institutions. As great powers increasingly invoke or disregard legal principles based on strategic convenience, middle powers such as Pakistan face heightened vulnerability, particularly amid escalating crises in the Middle East and South Asia. This paper analyses Pakistan’s foreign policy challenges within this fragmented order. Drawing on doctrinal jurisprudence, treaty law, and contemporary case studies, it argues that Pakistan must adopt a structured model of legal statecraft, one that integrates proactive litigation, treaty-based mechanisms, soft-law instruments, and multilateral coalition-building. By institutionalizing legal diplomacy and strengthening its capacity to engage international courts, advisory processes, and coordinated alliances, Pakistan can enhance its sovereignty, reinforce normative credibility, and assert itself as a principled actor within an increasingly contested multipolar system.