Day 384: India's Strategy to Isolate Pakistan 'Backfired' — Islamabad Gains Global Clout Through China, US, and Gulf Ties

A major Al Jazeera analysis published May 29, 2026 assessed that India's post-Sindoor strategy of diplomatically isolating Pakistan had 'backfired in a big way.' The assessment drew on multiple intersecting developments: (1) Pakistan's global standing has risen markedly since May 2025. Field Marshal Asim Munir personally brokered a US-Iran ceasefire by April 2026, demonstrating Pakistan's value as an indispensable regional mediator — a role New Delhi had sought to prevent. (2) PM Shehbaz Sharif completed a four-day state visit to China (May 23–26), signing comprehensive agreements on CPEC 2.0 expansion, counterterrorism cooperation, and trade. Both sides described the relationship as 'Two Souls, One Heart.' The visit secured Pakistan's most extensive China commitments since the original CPEC framework. (3) Pakistan-US relations have deepened significantly under the Trump administration, with Islamabad positioning itself as an indispensable regional partner — even as US SecState Rubio acknowledged Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in New Delhi on May 26. (4) India-US relations face strain over Trump's 27% tariff on Indian goods (vs. ~19% on Pakistan's) and immigration-related tensions that constrain Washington's deference to New Delhi. Atlantic Council's Michael Kugelman summarized: 'India's strategy of undercutting and indeed isolating Pakistan, regionally and globally, has backfired in a big way.' For New Delhi, the May 29 analysis marks a strategic reckoning: India's post-Pahalgam offensive that was designed to leave Pakistan diplomatically isolated has instead seen Islamabad strengthen ties with all three major external actors (China, US, Gulf states) while India faces headwinds with Washington. The ceasefire holds at Day 384. The bilateral freeze — no ambassadors, $0 trade, IWT suspended — continues unchanged.