An inquiry into the Pakistani statecraft in tackling COVID-19
| Published date | 01 December 2023 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/20578911231157447 |
| Author | Rahat Shah,Xiaolin Ma |
| Date | 01 December 2023 |
| Subject Matter | Original Research Articles |
An inquiry into the Pakistani
statecraft in tackling COVID-19
Rahat Shah
Shanghai University, PR China
Xiaolin Ma
Zhejiang International Studies University, PR China
Abstract
As the second largest country in South Asia, Pakistan has succeeded relatively well in tackling
COVID-19 after it broke out in 2020. Due to this, it is necessary to inquire into Pakistan’s state-
craft to find out how it responded to the pandemic issue, first domestically and then globally. As
one of the key neighboring countries of China where the large-scale pandemic started, Pakistan has
been very vulnerable to the epidemic. However, the Pakistani government led by Imran Khan has
achieved a remarkable record in controlling COVID-19. No doubt, the domestic progress in
Pakistan is destined to enhance its reputation abroad. For example, the international community
has extended encouraging words and deeds to Pakistan, while some developed EU countries have
policies designed by Pakistani Goverment because Islamabad has adopted successful social security
and financial stimulus strategies. This study aims to give a balanced understanding of what policy,
approaches, and strategies have been used by the current ruling elites of Pakistan; and how the
domestic achievements have effectively bolstered its prestigious image on the global stage.
Keywords
China, COVID-19, domestic policy, foreign policy, India, leadership, Pakistan
Introduction
Pakistan, like other countries, initially was not fully able to tackle the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic. In
the early stages of the outbreak, coronavirus seriously affected the economic, health, and social
system of the country (Shafiet al., 2020). However, the government handled the problem skillfully
Corresponding author:
Rahat Shah, Global Studies, School of Liberal Arts, Shanghai University, Shanghai, PR China.
Email: rahatshah8@gmail.com
Original Research Article
Asian Journal of Comparative Politics
2023, Vol. 8(4) 855–864
© The Author(s) 2023
Article reuse guidelines:
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DOI: 10.1177/20578911231157447
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