The latest rejection of the European Union to declare Pakistan a terrorist sponsor state despite the continuous diplomatic campaign and heated rhetoric by India is a game changer in the current geopolitical confrontation between the two South Asian giants. This turn of events not only reveals the declining utility value of India foreign policy but also indicates the effectiveness of Pakistani cool, steady, and expert diplomacy at the global arena.

The rejection comes as a direct hit on the credibility of New Delhi and as an unarguable diplomatic success of Islamabad.

India has spent decades trying to persuade the international community that Pakistan has been sponsoring terrorism, and it has been taking every international platform to drive that narrative home. But the resolute denial of the European Union to India request has dealt a setback to these attempts and it has shown how the world has started viewing the two nations differently. The Vice President of the European Union made it very clear that EU relation with India is purely bilateral and not determined by the urge of India to demonize Pakistan.

This balanced approach of EU is a silent yet effective declaration of the credibility of Pakistan and a humiliating piece of evidence of the diplomatic status of India which is becoming more and more isolated.

Though the External Affairs Minister of India, S. Jaishankar has attempted to appear strong and assertive with his crisp and undiplomatic comments towards Pakistan, nonetheless his words have merely revealed the frustration and desperation of New Delhi in the new international landscape where its accusations against Pakistan cannot be floated without any proof and be automatically believed as was the case in the past.

The behaviour of Jaishankar in the international arena is not a simple case of a slip of the tongue; it is the expression of frustration of the Indian foreign policy establishment which appears to be struggling to come to terms with new geopolitical realities.

What continues to baffle many international observers is that India continues to peddle an anti-Pakistan agenda not as a security issue that needs to be addressed rationally but as a remnant of the Cold War mentality that needs to be put to rest in the 21st -century diplomatic reality. This inability to update its foreign policy was slowly driving India into a self-created cul-de-sac, where its resentments were being progressively ignored by the other world powers that are more concerned about the stability of the region and economic relations than about ancient scores.

The days when we blindly believe what New Delhi accused Pakistan of are long gone.

The diplomatic force of Pakistan, on the contrary, has shown grace and expertise in dealing with such provocations and concentrating on developing fair and win-win relationships with the leading world actors, including the European Union, the United Nations, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Such establishments have hailed Pakistan as a nation which is dedicated in fighting terrorism and promoting peace in the region further tightening its responsibility and progressive state in the global community.

The explicit and strong declaration by the Vice President of the European Union is not just a normal diplomatic clarification but a firm slap on the face of India which has been pursuing its age-old policy of isolating Pakistan by levelling countless accusations and lobbying at the international forums. This rejection comes as a direct hit on the credibility of New Delhi and as an unarguable diplomatic success of Islamabad.

It demonstrates that the world is no longer keen to be dragged into the Indian fantasy of regional hostility and would rather develop relationship with Pakistan based on mutual respect and mutually perceived interests. This is a setback to the decades long Indian effort to isolationism Pakistan as a pariah state and a shift in the South Asian diplomacy in which a balanced Pakistani stance is getting more appreciation against the aggressive Indian stance.

The fact that the European Union, refused to be co-opted into the Indian anti-Pakistan strategy sends a very powerful message to the other countries and international bodies: the days when we blindly believe what New Delhi accused Pakistan of are long gone.

The symbolism of this diplomatic development cannot be overlooked. India, the country that longed to be a global leader, a voice of the developing world, is today seen by many to be stuck in a narrow-minded regional conflict that is seen to derail its bigger ambitions.

This perception is expressed by the unwillingness of the world to support its anti-Pakistan campaign. Even its traditional friends in the West, such as in Europe are becoming tired of India trying to bring bilateral ties into its conflicts with Pakistan. Instead, they are opting to have their independent relationships with Islamabad, as Pakistan is a major actor in the stability of the region, counter-terrorism efforts as well as economic relations.

India continues to peddle an anti-Pakistan agenda… as a remnant of the Cold War mentality.

Such refusal of the Indian story is therefore not just a diplomatic loss on tactical level but a strategic failure which has wider reflection of the deeper-rooted flaw in the Indian foreign policy vision. Meanwhile, Pakistan foreign ministry keeps on gaining points by being calm, patient, and consistent in its communication, focusing on peace, collaboration, and economic growth instead of aggression and accusations.

Conclusively, the EU unwillingness to take the Indian anti-Pakistan line can be seen as a breakthrough in the South Asian diplomacy. It is an immensely positive indicator that the world is sick of the ancient stories of India and is prepared to relate with Pakistan with fairness and equality. This does not only spell a short-term loss to India but an indication of its waning powers in getting world opinion against Pakistan. And the more Pakistani diplomats exercise professionalism and strategic vision, the more their nation is enjoying the dividends of a changing world order where dialogue is replacing confrontation and cooperation substituting conflict.

The future is to those who will create bridges, not walls.

In the meantime, the leaders of India could benefit by thinking about the increasingly abysmal success of the foreign policy conducted by the country and re-examining its dependence on aggression and propagandas. The message coming out of Brussels is clear: the future is to those who will create bridges, not walls. The victory of Pakistan in this case is not just diplomatic but symbolic, a vindication of its formula of peaceful co-existence and respectful existence in a world that is become increasingly interconnected.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not represent the views, beliefs, or policies of the Stratheia.