Its land position is what makes Pakistan so important in geostrategic terms. Geostrategic refers to the importance of a country or area due to its geographical position. Geopolitics refers to the study of geopolitics, which is the study of how geographical elements affect state power and international behavior. This is what Stephen Cohn calls geopolitics. While Pakistan’s past has not been kind, its location has been its greatest advantage. It has a resource-rich region in the northwest and a population-rich region in the northeast.” In addition, Pakistan serves as a transportation hub and a frontline state in the fight against terrorism.
Location is important in Pakistan
Pakistan lies at 23 degrees latitude. The latitude is between 30 and 37 degrees north. The longitude is between 61 and 77 degrees east. China borders Pakistan to the north and Afghanistan and Iran to the west. India lies to the east and the Arabian Sea to the south.
The importance of geographic location
Pakistan’s unique position in South Asia is important, but it is not the only one. Because Pakistan is the link between East and West, this is why it is so important. These are just a few of Pakistan’s most important neighbors.
China
China Country is the focus of attention when it comes to the geostrategic significance of Pakistan. The Pakistani territory extends 600 km along China’s borders. The two countries share strong commercial, cultural, political, and political ties. The two countries work closely in many fields including heavy machines and other areas. China supplies silk, fabric, machinery, and many other items. Pakistan is strategically important because of its proximity to China, the world’s greatest country.
India
As far as the geostrategic importance of Pakistan is concerned India because Kashmir is the bone of connection. India is a Hindu country in Pakistan’s eastern. A shared border of 1600 kilometers lies between these two countries. Both countries are trying to resolve their problems, including Kashmir.
This animosity led to wars between the two countries in 1948, 1965, and 1971. Our one wing, East Pakistan has torn away from us in the past due to this animosity. India conspires with a superpower to undermine both countries’ mutual well-being. India has fifteen million Muslims. Their safety is also a concern.
Central Asia: Islamic Countries
Pakistan is strategically important because of its religious, cultural, and economic ties with the Islamic countries in Central Asia. Pakistan is the only country to offer them both a maritime route and other transportation options. These countries are located in Pakistan’s northern region.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan lies to Pakistan’s west. The Durand Line, which is a permanent border between the two countries was established by the treaty signed by the English when they took control of the subcontinent in 1893. The border between Pakistan & Afghanistan measures approximately 2240 km. Both countries have long-standing commercial, religious, and cultural ties.
Iran
The border of Iran runs from the West to Pakistan’s Baluchistan province. It is a country with a Muslim majority. Iran became the first country in 1947 to recognize Pakistan’s existence. R.C.D. There have been pacts between Iran and other nations. Its name stands for E.C.O.Discipline of Economic Cooperation. Iran supported Pakistan during the 1971 and 1965 conflicts. Pakistan shows its love for Iran in every moment of need. Iran experienced an Islamic revolution by the end of its reign. It has also improved relations with Pakistan. Its border with Iran, which is an important country for its oil reserves, is a major factor in the importance of Pakistan’s location.
The Arabian Sea
The Indian Ocean is home to the Arabian Sea. The majority of commerce between the east and west is handled by the Indian Ocean. Through the Arabian Sea, Pakistan can be connected to the Muslim countries in the Persian Gulf. All of them are rich in oil. Bin Qasim and Gwadar are prominent Pakistani seaports in Karachi. This is why the prominent Muslim countries in Southeast Asia (Indonesia Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Brunei, Brunei) and South Asia are important.
Pakistan’s strategic importance
Great Powers in the Nearby
Pakistan is at the crossroads of great powers. Its neighbors include Russia, a global power, and China, a growing power. Any partnership between international powers is, therefore, more important. This element has been used by Pakistan in the wake of 9/11. The United States has two main interests in this area: security and business. Pakistan plays a crucial role in fighting terrorism. The U.S. also wants to limit China’s rise, nuke Iran, terrorist Afghanistan, as well as profit from India’s markets.
The political landscape of the region today has been influenced by the U.S. invasions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Iran’s nuclear program and India’s geopolitical power (new strategic agreement between the U.S.) in order to gain hegemony and stop China’s rise. It possesses all the characteristics necessary to make a world unipolar a bipolar one. All of these concerns are directly or indirectly related to Pakistan, especially in the aftermath al-Qaeda operations. American think-tank repeatedly stated that Pakistan is directly or indirectly involved in all of these concerns, especially after al-Qaeda operations.
Central Asia’s Gateway (oil-and-energy game)
The new Great Games will be held in Central Asia. Central Asia is the West’s search for oil and other energy resources. Oil politics emerged from the new search for resources after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Pakistan is close to the oil-rich Middle East countries. This belt started in Iran and stretches to Saudi Arabia. Pakistan now controls oil shipments. Iran wants to sell excess oil and gas to its eastern neighbors, as evidenced by the construction of pipelines in Qatar, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan. Pakistan is located centrally in an energy-scarce world between Iran and Afghanistan, which are both energy-rich. India and China have less energy.
China is connected to the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean via the Karakoram highway.
Important as a Transit Economy
Pakistan’s strategic location allows it to build a transit economy. Landlocked Afghanistan, currently under reconstruction, passes through Pakistan. China is developing the southern provinces of China because its section is only 4500 km from Sinkiang. However, Gwadar lies 2500 kilometers away. Pakistan is the fastest to Central Asia at 2600 km. This compares to Iran’s 4500kms and Turkey’s 5k2kms. Gwadar port attracts trade vessels from China, the Central African Republic, and other Southeast Asian countries due to its deep waters. The development of motorways and coastal highways can also allow the Baluchistan coast belt to be an avenue for China’s western provinces, allowing them to access the middle east markets.
A crucial link in the chain of The Muslim World’s Chain
When we look at a map of Muslim countries, Pakistan lies in the middle. China extends into North Africa, to the west of Iran. It will therefore actively engage in Muslim global economic growth and resource transportation as well as terrorist fighting. Only one Muslim nation has nuclear weapons
Nuclear Weapons
Pakistan is the only Muslim country with nuclear weapons in the region. This has significant implications for regional politics, socioeconomic activity, and the preservation of the status quo.
China’s the Middle East Connection
Pakistan is the fastest and most direct route between China, Middle East, and the Middle East. If this link is operational, China will have a significant influence on the Middle East. Gwadar Port is ideally situated to serve both the Arabian Gulf region and Central Asian Republics. Pakistan should take advantage of these opportunities by strengthening diplomatic relations with Arab governments and C.A.R.s. It is likely that oil reserves and other C.A.R.s will increase in the future. In the coming years, resources will be increasingly the center of global attention.
Afghanistan must be stable and calm when “exports from and to C.A.R.s”. It will promote commerce with the Gulf States which have 63 percent of the world’s oil reserves. The port will also be vital in encouraging the transshipment of containerized goods and unlocking the economic potential of the hinterland. Gwadar Port’s location in relation to other ports in the region is what makes it unique. Gwadar Port is ideally located in the north and can easily deliver infrastructure and services to the C.A.R.s of Afghanistan and China.
India’s Predominance In The Indian Ocean and The Arabian Sea is Reduced by Pakistan
India shares common interests with NATO and the United States in the subjugation of Pakistan. A potential revolution could lead to Pakistan being a U.S. client or controllable state. A revolutionary Islamabad government would have nuclear weapons and could pose a threat to India’s national security, NATO operations, Afghanistan, and Israel. The United States, Israel, NATO, and India have an interest in preventing a similarly strategic and tactical threat to Pakistan.
NATO’s goal to balkanize Pakistan is important. The U.S. also discussed the possibility of using its military force to seize control of Pakistan’s nuclear sites. New Delhi would also benefit from subjugating Pakistan both geographically and militarily. This would allow India to reclaim the land it believes was lost to India in 1947 when India was divided.
Gwadar Port’s Economic Importance
Gwadar Port is Pakistan’s most important infrastructure project since independence. Gwadar Deep Seaport, located on Pakistan’s southwest coast, is adjacent to the Straits of Hormuz which receives more than 13,000,000 barrels of oil per day. Since the Gwadar deep-sea port was built, the Baluchistan people have been able to improve their living conditions. China is particularly interested in Gwadar’s construction and has already invested $248 Million in it. Gwadar Deep Seaport is strategically and geographically better than other ports like Dubai’s Rashid or Jebel Ali ports, Oman’s Salalah Port, and Iran’s Bandar Abbas, Chabahar ports. 95 percent of trade in Pakistan is conducted by water. Port Qasim handles 32% of the seaborne traffic. The Karachi port handles 68%.
Global trade is expected to grow by 91,000,000 tonnes by 2015. This will cause the port’s shipping traffic to soar. Gwadar will help Pakistan monitor the SLOCs originating from the Persian Gulf and the bottleneck in the Strait of Hormuz. Today, oil is a major source of both military and economic power. Gwadar is expected to become a global center for industrial and commercial activity. This will play a major role in the economic growth in Baluchistan and the country. Gwadar will be designated a special economic area for a period of time in order to promote rapid economic and commercial growth.
It is not yet known how long this period will last. The SEZ will likely include Gwadar as well as the planned industrial areas. The special incentives-regime will include general tax holidays, no V.A.T., and large incentives to immigrant business ownership as well as employment. This strategy has the main goal to accelerate economic development and foreign and domestic investments in general. This will lead to an increase in industrial development and port traffic throughput. It will also be more efficient in generating jobs and uplifting Baluchistan and Gwadar.
Pakistan’s importance in trade with landlocked countries
Strategically, Pakistan is located in the heart of three major regions: South Asia and Central Asia. It provides the fastest route to the sea for all Central Asian countries, except Western China, that is landlocked. It is an emerging crossroads for many cooperation routes in energy, trade, and transportation between Afghanistan, China, the Central African Republic, and China. Because of the inter-regional trade and communication links that Pakistan enjoys with South, Central, and West Asia, Pakistan has been an economic hub. The country is geographically surrounded by Iran to the west, Afghanistan to the north, and the Arabian Sea south. This has resulted in multilateral trade with its neighbors being encouraged over the past decade.
Three major seaports are available in Pakistan, Karachi, Qasim, and Gwadar. These ports serve as the main route for shipping to Pakistan. Pakistan shares borders with China and Afghanistan. The lack of a common border between Pakistan and any Central Asian country is one of the biggest barriers to entry into this region. Pakistan’s most strategically positioned country is Tajikistan. It shares borders with Afghanistan, China, and China. The Wakhan Corridor connects Afghanistan to China in far northeastern Afghanistan. It might be the easiest land route between Pakistan, Tajikistan, and China.
The U.S. Invasion of Afghanistan and its Impact on Pakistani Trade The Impact of the U.S. Invasion on Pakistani Trade In addition to the large influx of Afghan refugees crossing the border into Pakistani, the number and severity of terrorist attacks in Pakistan increased significantly. These changes also negatively affected the economic growth in key areas.
This predicament continues to cost Pakistan a lot in terms of security and economic growth. A significant portion of Pakistan’s national resources, both material and human, have been diverted to deal with the increasing security threats for many years. This crisis has hampered Pakistani commercial activity. It caused increased business expenses and disruptions to production cycles. This led to major delays in the completion of export orders around the globe. Pakistani products have been steadily losing market share to their competitors. This led to a slowdown in economic growth, a drop in import demand, and a decrease in tax collections and foreign investment flows.
Suggestions
The greatest asset of Pakistan has always been its geographical location. It is home to many resource-rich areas. Pakistanis are today a modern, forward-thinking, vibrant nation. It is no exaggeration that Pakistanis possess the most brilliant intellect in the world. It is possible to harness the energy of people and provide them with opportunities to shine and to manage resources efficiently to transform Pakistan’s fortunes.
Conclusion
Strategically, Pakistan’s geographical position is crucial. Pakistan is at a crossroads between South Asia, West Asia, and Central Asia. This helps bridge the gap between resource-rich and resource-poor nations. The planet is being plagued by terrorism and energy issues. Pakistan is a transport hub and a frontline nation in the fight against terrorists. Pakistan is also an ally to China, the fastest-growing economy in the world. In the event that global political shifts, Pakistan’s geostrategic significance will grow.