Shifting Sands: How Indo-Saudi Relations Impact Pakistan’s Stance on Palestine and Iran in Regional Diplomacy This study critically examines the evolving impact of Indo-Saudi strategic convergence o

Abstract

This study critically examines the evolving impact of Indo-Saudi strategic convergence on Pakistan’s foreign policy behavior, with particular emphasis on its positioning toward the Palestinian issue and its balancing strategy between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Utilizing a qualitative research design grounded in Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the research draws upon 76 textual sources including policy documents, think tank reports, diplomatic statements, and regional media narratives to explore the interplay between geopolitical alliances and foreign policy recalibration. The findings reveal that Pakistan’s traditional advocacy for Palestine and its role as a neutral mediator in Saudi-Iranian tensions are increasingly constrained by India’s rising influence in Gulf diplomacy. As Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates deepen economic and security cooperation with New Delhi, Islamabad faces diplomatic marginalization, strategic pressure, and internal security challenges. The research identifies a clear shift from ideologically driven diplomacy to pragmatic, interest-based engagement, where economic dependency, energy needs, and diaspora relations significantly shape Pakistan’s regional alignments. The study is framed within theoretical constructs of Neorealism, Constructivism, Two-Level Game Theory, and Complex Interdependence, providing a multi-dimensional lens to understand Pakistan’s constrained strategic autonomy. It concludes that while Pakistan continues to rhetorically support Islamic solidarity, it is increasingly pursuing a policy of strategic non-alignment and diversification. The research contributes to existing literature by highlighting how asymmetric alliances and emerging regional hierarchies are reconfiguring the foreign policy behavior of middle-tier powers like Pakistan in the post-unipolar global order.

Keywords: Indo-Saudi relations, Pakistan foreign policy, Palestine, Iran, strategic balancing, Gulf diplomacy, sectarian dynamics, regional security, critical discourse analysis, South Asia-Middle East geopolitics.