After defeating India in May war, Pakistan commands new global attention, says envoy

• Sheikh says, in 2025, US ties saw clear improvement over past years.
• Adds IT, minerals, energy, tourism new Pak-US partnership areas.
• Says focus now on people-to-people, lasting business links.

Ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, has said that Pakistan has gained an unprecedented international standing after its victory in the seemingly brief but intense war against India after the latter attacked Pakistan in May 2025.

"The country has always played a responsible part in ensuring international security and continues to be seen as a key stakeholder on the world stage," he said, speaking about Pakistan’s international role.

The ambassador noted that Pakistan-US relations saw a clear improvement over the past year, describing the progress as significant and positive.

He credited Pakistan’s successful diplomacy over the last year to the country’s leadership, saying their efforts helped strengthen Pakistan’s position abroad.

"Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement in the US is continuing successfully and will be further strengthened in the days ahead," Sheikh added.

Mutual relations were expected to strengthen further in the days ahead, Pakistan’s ambassador to the US, Sheikh, said, expressing optimism as the two countries enter the new year.

Pakistan and India went to war in May after India launched an unprovoked attack on Pakistan following the attack on tourists in the IIOJK.

New Delhi maintains that the terrorists who killed 26 tourists in IIOJK's Pahalgam were Pakistanis — a charge that Islamabad has denied and has also asked India to partake in a neutral investigation.

Pakistan, during the 87-hour conflict, downed its six fighter jets, including three Rafale, and dozens of drones. The war between the two nuclear-armed nations ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the US.

Meanwhile, in a New Year 2026 message from Washington, the ambassador said 2025 carried a “transformative tenor” for Pak-US ties, with positive momentum witnessed across the bilateral relationship spanning nearly eight decades.

He said cooperation continued in existing areas such as counterterrorism, health and education. 

At the same time, both sides also identified new avenues to deepen engagement and move towards a more strategic, long-term partnership rooted in economic ties.

According to the ambassador, sectors including IT, minerals, energy, hospitality and tourism were identified as areas of “mutually rewarding, beneficial engagement” that could endure over time.

He noted that leadership-level contacts remained frequent throughout the year, helping sustain momentum in relations.

Looking ahead to 2026, Sheikh said there was a shared understanding on the importance of strong and strategic ties between Pakistan and the United States, describing them as “two densely populated mega countries of today and tomorrow.”

He stressed the need to take relations beyond policy discussions and translate this convergence of views into people-to-people contacts and stronger business relationships. 

While new areas of cooperation were identified in 2025, he said the next step was to move towards “calibrations and deliberations” to turn ideas into action.

The ambassador also extended New Year greetings to Pakistani Americans and the American nation, saying he hoped the year ahead would allow both countries to look back with “a lot of satisfaction” over tangible progress in bilateral relations.