Pakistan gets reality check from former Singapore envoy

Pakistan may have repaired its global image by mediating the US-Iran war. However, it has done little to repair the crisis within, according to former Singapore ambassador Bilahari Kausikan, who asserted that Pakistan was a state teetering on the brink of failure. Speaking at a global conference, Kausikan also bluntly underlined that Pakistan's problem is not India or Afghanistan, but its own politicians and the military.The former Singapore envoy stressed that Pakistan might have played its diplomatic cards well, but "that doesn't feed the Pakistani people". When asked by a journalist where Pakistan could be in the next five years, Kausikan offered a blunt assessment.'PAKISTAN TEETERING ON BRINK OF COLLAPSE'"Pakistan was very agile, and very successful in taking advantage of a diplomatic opportunity. And that has gone some way to rehabilitate Pakistan diplomatically in the eyes of the US," Kausikan said, referring to its role in the Iran war. Then came the caveat. "But you know, that doesn't feed the Pakistani people," he said, alluding to the economic crisis in Pakistan. It is no secret that Pakistan relies heavily on loans and bailouts from international institutions like the World Bank and the IMF to manage its debt.Pakistan has been riding high after it got the US and Iran to sign the interim peace framework last month. However, the country remains beset by an economic crisis. Moreover, according to a report in The Dawn, Pakistan is among the top 10 countries facing an acute food crisis.Calling Pakistan "a state teetering on the brink of failure", Kausikan, who served as the envoy to Russia and Finland, underscored that no diplomatic success will change that fundamental reality.He also poured cold water on expectations that Pakistan's recent diplomatic gains would transform its ties with the US in the long run, underscoring that Washington would never lift all its curbs on Islamabad."It hasn't quite fallen over, for which we all should be grateful. The diplomatic success doesn't change that fundamental reality. I don't think the US is going to lift whatever restrictions in totality it has on Pakistan," he further said.Earlier this year, the Donald Trump administration indefinitely paused the processing of immigrant visas to Pakistani nationals. 'PAK POLITICIANS A WASTE OF TIME'During the conference, a Pakistani journalist suggested that much of Islamabad's troubles stem from its borders with India and Afghanistan. However, Pakistan's old game of playing the victim card was blunted by the seasoned diplomat."You cannot blame location on everything. That's an excuse," Kausikan said.Instead, Kausikan argued that Pakistan's crisis is of its own making by its politicians, whom he called a "waste of time", and the military."Pakistan has been mismanaged terribly since the beginning. I don't see any solution. Its politicians are a waste of time, all of them, regardless of parties, and the military is a big part of the problem," he said.Pakistan has been directly governed by its military for nearly half of its history. Even during civilian rule, the influence of the military has hung over government operations.- EndsPublished By: Abhishek DePublished On: Jul 3, 2026 11:11 IST