New Delhi, Oct. 24 -- The recent geopolitical churn in Asia highlights fast-moving developments that India cannot afford to ignore. The Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defense pact, the U.S. decision to lift exemptions and sanction trade through the Chabahar port, and Donald Trump's statement on America's intent to capture Afghanistan's Bagram airbase together mark shifts in regional dynamics. Broadly, these moves highlight an uncomfortable reality: India's immediate neighborhood remains the principal arena where external powers seek leverage against it.

Pakistan's fleeting advantage

this is not the first time great powers have rallied behind Pakistan and, time after time, Islamabad has failed them-undermined by weak institutions, endemic corrupt...