ThePrint NationalInterestPod: Why Pakistan is no Islamic state but an anti-Indian one with Army for rent, ideology of convenience
Oct 4, 2025
Discover how Pakistan's rapid support for Trump's Gaza plan reveals its strategic posturing rather than genuine conviction. The discussion highlights Pakistan's identity crisis as an Islamic state when its military actions often cater to various patrons. Explore the irony behind military aid labeled 'peace' while Pakistan neglects defending fellow Muslim countries. The core ideology surfaces as firmly rooted in anti-Indianism, shaping Pakistan's foreign policy decisions and military interventions across the region.
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Rapid Endorsement Reveals Real Priorities
- Pakistan publicly endorsed Trump's Gaza plan at hypersonic speed, showing political alignment over principle.
- Shekhar Gupta argues this rapid support reveals Pakistan's strategic priorities override Islamic solidarity.
Deployments Serve Patrons, Not The Ummah
- Pakistan's military interventions abroad mainly protect patrons, not Islamic causes.
- Gupta shows deployments to Jordan, Saudi Arabia and during Gulf crises served client interests, not the Ummah.
Pakistan As A Rentier Army
- Pakistan functions as a rentier military that sells strategic support to the highest bidder.
- Gupta cites US and Gulf payments and weapons programs that kept Pakistan's army available for rent.
