PAKISTAN AND UNITED STATES DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS SINCE THE MAY 2025 INDO-PAK WAR: ROLE OF SOFT POWER AND DIGITAL DIPLOMACY AS TOOLS OF NATION BRANDING

Abstract

The May 2025 India-Pakistan conflict transformed the geopolitics of South Asia, creating a seismic shift in Pakistan-US relations, and heralding a new wave of digital diplomacy in nation branding. This research article examines the dynamics that enabled Pakistan to leverage its soft power and digital diplomacy to counter India's isolation, and to enhance economic and strategic partnership with the US. After qualitative analysis of media and official statements, and recent literature, the paper concludes: first, Pakistan's media diplomacy, based on facts, countered India's disinformation campaign; second, the country's proactive lobbying and military-to-military engagement has transformed it into a regional peace broker; and third, the aftermath of the war has led to a new wave of US-Pakistan economic and trade partnerships, focusing on critical minerals, energy technologies and information technology. Policy recommendations for sustainability are made at the end of the paper.