This chapter examines the evolution of Pakistan’s strategic culture as a post-colonial construct shaped by enduring insecurity, elite-driven politics, and asymmetrical civil-military relations. Anchored in the geopolitical legacy of Partition, Pakistan’s strategic thinking has been defined by a persistent threat perception vis-à-vis India, the securitization of national identity, and an over-reliance on military solutions. The analysis explores the competing roles of political and military leadership in crafting strategic priorities, the institutionalization of civil-military imbalances, and the development of nuclear deterrence as a compensatory doctrine. It further investigates Pakistan’s fluctuating alignment with Western powers and its strategic recalibrations in the post-9/11 and post-2021 regional orders. The chapter argues that Pakistan’s strategic behavior reflects both the continuities of its colonial inheritance and the pressures of evolving regional and international dynamics.