Pakistan’s role in West Asia ‘unimportant’: Austrian analyst Tom Cooper

VIENNA: In a blunt assessment of the escalating crisis in West Asia, renowned Austrian aerial warfare analyst and historian Tom Cooper has dismissed Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts as “unimportant,” characterising the nation as a minor player hamstrung by internal incompetence and short-term manoeuvring.

Speaking to ANI, Cooper dismantled Islamabad’s projection of itself as a high-level mediator between Washington and Tehran, suggesting the reality is far less prestigious.

Cooper argued that there is a stark divide between Pakistan’s international posturing and its actual strategic weight. He claimed the Pakistani government is currently focused on “appeasing” the Trump administration to secure immediate favours rather than building long-term influence.

“Pakistan, let’s say this, there are two worlds,” he said. “Pakistan, on one side, is portraying itself as a big negotiator and so on. In reality, the Pakistani government is appeasing Trump in exchange for favours.”

Cooper alleged that Islamabad is exploiting the US lobbying system to push agendas like the Kashmir issue, though he noted these efforts have seen “no success.”

“They are exploiting political corruption in the United States. The entire system is based on political corruption... it is absolutely legal to bribe through so-called lobbyists,” he said. “So the Pakistanis are exploiting this situation nominally intending to push the Kashmir issue, but actually without any success.”

The analyst pointed to Pakistan’s internal power dynamics as a primary inhibitor. “The country is de facto hostage of its own armed forces,” Cooper stated, adding that “political and administrative incompetence” prevents the nation from playing any meaningful role on the world stage.

“The actual Pakistan’s role in all of this is unimportant because of political and administrative incompetence,” he said, adding that the country is de facto hostage to its own armed forces and has to do whatever they want to do, regardless of consequences.

Cooper’s analysis paints Pakistan as a peripheral figure in a high-stakes game dominated by regional powers and a struggling West. Despite Islamabad’s attempts to project influence, Cooper maintains that their actual role in the evolving West Asia crisis remains marginal at best.

“Essentially, Pakistan is playing no big role in these developments,” he said.

His assessment underscored the broader dynamics of the crisis, where major regional and global powers continue to shape outcomes, while countries like Pakistan struggle to convert diplomatic positioning into tangible influence. (ANI)

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