Pakistan Respects Russia–India Ties, Seeks Stronger Bond with Moscow

TDT | Manama

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Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed his country’s respect for Russia’s close ties with India, while also calling for stronger relations between Islamabad and Moscow.

Speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, China, Sharif said:
“We respect your relationship with India, and that’s perfectly fine. We also want to build very strong relations with Russia — relations that will complement the region’s progress and prosperity.”

Sharif thanked Putin for what he described as Russia’s efforts to maintain balance in South Asia and called the Russian leader “dynamic.”

The meeting comes at a sensitive time for Pakistan. Just weeks earlier, Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, visited the United States and met former President Donald Trump. The visit followed India’s military action under “Operation Sindoor,” which targeted terror hideouts and defense infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir after a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam left 26 civilians dead.

Analysts say Sharif’s outreach to Russia is part of Islamabad’s attempt to diversify its international ties. While Pakistan has been seeking closer relations with Washington after tensions with India, it is also signaling that it values Moscow’s role in the region.

For now, Pakistan finds itself walking a fine line — trying to repair its image after military setbacks, while also building new partnerships to secure its place in the shifting geopolitics of South Asia.