लंदन वार्ता: नई विश्व व्यवस्था لندن وارتا: نیا عالمی نظام – In Part 2 of her podcast, Dr Ayesha Siddiqa, prominent Pakistan Defence Expert and Senior Fellow, War Studies, King’s College London, highlighted Pakistan’s role in negotiating the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, which helped de-escalate tensions between Washington and Tehran. She suggested this mediation allowed the Pakistani regime to project itself as a responsible international actor and a key player in Middle East diplomacy, dramatically improving its image abroad.

She was in conversation with broadcaster Pervaiz Alam on Cineink podcast London Vārta.

“The image of the Pakistani regime has come out very shiny and excellent,” she said. Although tangible financial rewards have so far been limited – “not even a single penny came” – the diplomatic prestige has provided valuable breathing space for the military leadership.

However, Pakistan is currently governed by what prominent expert Dr Ayesha Siddiqa has termed “constitutional militarism” – a system in which the armed forces exercise sweeping control through parliamentary and constitutional mechanisms rather than through overt martial law.

In this hybrid arrangement, the military maintains dominance while preserving the outward appearance of civilian rule. Dr Siddiqa argues that this model has now been significantly reinforced by recent regional crises, granting the regime led by Field Marshal Asim Munir a fresh lease of political life.

Dr Siddiqa described how the establishment has capitalised on two major developments: the outcome of the recent India-Pakistan military confrontation known as “Operation Sindoor”, and Islamabad’s diplomatic brokerage in the US-Iran crisis.

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