By Cliff Potts, CSO, and Editor-in-Chief of WPS News
Dateline: Hiawatha, Iowa, USA
Publication Date: January

Pakistan shows up a lot in scary conversations.

People hear the words nuclear weapons, military rule, and extremism, and assume Pakistan is some looming global danger.

It isn’t.

That doesn’t mean Pakistan has no problems. It has many. But being a world‑shaping threat is not one of them.

This article explains why, in plain language.

First, Give Credit Where It’s Due

Pakistan is not a cartoon villain. It has real strengths, and they deserve to be acknowledged.

Pakistan has:

  • A large population of hardworking people
  • Doctors, engineers, teachers, and IT workers who succeed despite difficult conditions
  • A global diaspora that sends money home and keeps families afloat
  • A long cultural history with food, music, poetry, and art
  • Soldiers who sincerely believe they are defending their country

The Pakistani people are not the problem. Most are focused on the same things people everywhere care about: jobs, safety, family, and getting through the week.

The Real Problem Is the State

Pakistan’s main issue is simple and long‑running:

The military runs the country, and the country never grew past that.

Civilian governments exist, but real power stays with the generals. Over time, this has created a system where:

  • Politics are tightly controlled
  • The economy serves military interests first
  • Corruption is rarely punished
  • Big failures are covered up instead of fixed

This creates a state that looks strong on television but is actually fragile, defensive, and inward‑focused.

Who Is Pakistan a Threat To?

Here is the honest answer.

India

India is the only country that has to take Pakistan seriously.

Pakistan’s military doctrine is built almost entirely around India. Every major plan, purchase, and posture points east.

Even then, Pakistan is not India’s equal.

Pakistan:

  • Cannot defeat India in a sustained conflict
  • Cannot match India economically
  • Cannot project power beyond its own borders
  • Cannot afford a long war

Pakistan can annoy, distract, and harass India. It cannot dominate it.

Everyone Else

For the rest of the world, Pakistan is not a direct threat.

It has:

  • No global military reach
  • No blue‑water navy
  • No alliance system
  • No economic leverage
  • No ability to shape events outside its region

Outside of its rivalry with India, Pakistan mostly reacts to events instead of creating them.

What About Nuclear Weapons?

Yes, Pakistan has nuclear weapons.

No, that does not make it a global power.

Nuclear weapons are not magic tools. They are deterrents, not steering wheels.

Pakistan cannot use its nuclear weapons without:

  • Triggering massive retaliation
  • Ending its own economy
  • Risking state collapse

That is why they are tightly controlled and rarely mentioned beyond defensive rhetoric.

In simple terms: Pakistan’s nukes keep Pakistan from being attacked. They do not allow Pakistan to run the world.

Religion Is Not the Driver People Think It Is

Pakistan is officially an Islamic republic, but religion is not what runs the country.

Religion is used by the state as a political tool:

  • To justify military control
  • To rally domestic support
  • To distract from economic failure

Foreign policy decisions are driven by survival, not theology.

This is not a global religious crusade state. It is a nervous, defensive system trying to hold itself together.

Why the World Mostly Ignores Pakistan

The international approach to Pakistan is very simple:

  • Keep it solvent enough to function
  • Keep the nuclear weapons secure
  • Keep tensions with India from exploding
  • Avoid pushing it into collapse

Pakistan is frequently broke, regularly needs bailouts, and struggles with inflation, power shortages, floods, and basic governance.

These are not the problems of a rising empire.

They are the problems of a country stuck in place.

The Godzilla Test

Unless Godzilla crawls out of a radioactive test site, Pakistan is not invading anyone, not reshaping the global order, and not triggering world war.

Pakistan’s real battles are internal:

  • Economic survival
  • Political legitimacy
  • Civil‑military imbalance
  • Basic infrastructure

Those are not the concerns of a nation about to dominate the world.

Bottom Line

Here is the plain‑English conclusion:

  • Pakistan is not a global threat
  • It is not a rising power
  • It does not drive world events
  • It is primarily India’s long‑term irritation
  • The people deserve far better than the system running the country

In a world full of real dangers, Pakistan is one country we truly do not need to lose sleep over.

For more social commentary, please see Occupy 2.5 at https://Occupy25.com

APA‑Style References

International Institute for Strategic Studies. (2024). The Military Balance 2024. Routledge.

World Bank. (2024). Pakistan Development Update. World Bank Publications.

Freedom House. (2024). Freedom in the World: Pakistan. Freedom House.

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