Soft Power. Hard Power. America is master of both. America’s soft power flows from Hollywood, Brands, Corporations, Universities, etc. Hard power comes from the Pentagon. Till recently soft power ascendant. However, President Donald Trump disagrees. He “and his followers” believe only financial and military power matters.
Earlier on in history Count Bismarck stated “the current problems facing Europe cannot be resolved by democracy. Only by blood and iron”. Hence the sobriquet way: The Iron Chancellor. As of now the whole world is obsessed with soft power and branding. We have 8.2 billion people, each an individual brand. We have brand ambassadors, influencers, IG followers, TikTokers, etc.
The great success story in our part of the world is the UAE, and especially Dubai. How a desert backwater, within 70 years, rose to be a great financial, tourist and vacation destination. Great strategic thinking has gone into “Project UAE”. Soft power projection has played a major role. In the 1960s/70s, Sheikh Zayed al-Nahayan and Sheikh Rashid al-Maktoum understood that along with other elements soft power would play a major role.
Sheikh Zayed Al-Nahayan, in the early 1960s, would visit Karachi and enjoy a dinner at the Karachi Boat Club with his hosts (a famous business family of Karachi). Today the Al- Nahayan brothers, led by MBZ, have a vast fortune, estimated at USD 1.7 trillion. They are probably the richest family in the world. Their imprimatur appears all over the world – especially in the Middle East, the Levant, Africa and South Asia.
Pakistan had a good soft power launch in 1947. The legacy colonial culture was a good help. In the 1950s/60s Pakistan was projecting a good image – safe streets, imported and local entertainments, clubs, night clubs, ladies entering the work force, Karachi as an airline hub. To the west, Iran was projecting money, power and glamour to the world. In Afghanistan, King Zahir Shah was also projecting soft power. Then things went awry. The region was plunged into a cocktail of revolution and counter-revolution.
Since 1988 Pakistan has been making erratic attempts to regain “Soft power”. Back and forth. Tug of war. The soft power industry “of Pakistan” has been trying to play a national role, but impediments arise with remarkable frequency. Across the eastern border, the Indian soft power industry is super charged. I am not talking about the current venom spewing out of the media and talk shows.
The Pakistani models, actors and other showbiz personalities are doing a great job. Despite the harassment they face, they solider on. YouTube is prefaced with headlines like ‘Bold’, ‘Sharamnak’, ‘Vulgar’. Whenever I scroll down, it’s pretty ordinary stuff. Malaika Auora, the Bollywood diva, exhibits more skin in one episode than our starlets do in a whole drama series. The corporate women of Pakistan are writing a glorious new chapter in management. The ladies in parliament and politics are doing well. This is all part of soft power.
The recently concluded 10th PSL unleashed tremendous soft power for the world to see. Great sports, great event execution, great branding. Kudos to HBL and all the other advertisers that participated.
Pakistan’s leadership team, both in uniforms and mufti, must understand that the Pakistan’s armed forces can deal with any military threat. As recently demonstrated it is the soft power that is lacking. Perhaps the Field Marshal can commit a brigade to safeguard vulnerable people that are working to develop soft power for Pakistan. Hence, the title of this article.
All actions have some unintended consequences. After the recent clash with India, I see a certain power shift in the senior ranks of our military establishment. The second most sought-after job (after the Chief) may well be the Director General of ISPR. This job gives a brand, face and name recognition and identity to the chief of ISPR. This is a very good asset to senior Generals about to retire and looking at post-retirement options. Let us see how the dynamic works out.
The godfather of the Soft Power strategy, Joseph Nye, passed away on 7th May 2025. I had attended two lectures delivered by him. R.I.P. Mr. Nye.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
The writer is a former Executive Director of the Management Association of Pakistan
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