Pakistan’s Foreign Policy in a Multiplex World: The Logic of Hedging

Abstract

The international order is undergoing profound transformation, generating renewed debate over the concepts through which it should be understood. While much of the existing discourse describes these changes in terms of multipolarity, this paper posits that the concept of ‘multiplexity’, which takes into account both the multiplicity of actors and the complexity of their interactions, provides a more comprehensive explanation of the nature, dynamics, and organisation of the emerging order. Using a qualitative and interpretive research design based on academic literature, official documents, and expert insights, the study examines the implications of an increasingly multiplex international system for Pakistan’s foreign policy. It argues that while balancing and bandwagoning remain important strategic responses to changes in the distribution of power, neither provides a satisfactory framework for advancing Pakistan’s interests in the contemporary international order. The paper concludes that hedging offers Islamabad the most viable strategy for managing competing security, economic, and diplomatic interests while preserving flexibility.