Pakistan and Central Asian Relations in the Context of Global Politics

Abstract

Central Asia and South-West Asia have become more important in world politics in recent years, especially when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and after it left at the start of the US-Afghan war. In other words, the closing of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century have developed multifaceted political environments in the region, which have involved Pakistan as well. Central Asia is the second largest energy reservoir of oil, gas, and hydrocarbons after the Persian Gulf and is the core region of the Asian continent, whereas Pakistan is located at the convergence of South Asia, Central Asia, and West Asia and provides the shortest access to warm water seas for all landlocked Central Asian states. Pakistan also acts as a junction of multiple corridors of economic cooperation between these three regions in the fields of energy, trade, transportation, and tourism. Pakistan will become an economic centre and spur interregional economic activity as a result of the communication and commercial links that connect South Asia, Central Asia, and West Asia. Most of the research available on Central Asia and Pakistan is focused either on the Great Game and internal instability of Central Asian states or on the historical linkage and cultural association of Pakistan with Central Asia, with a superficial discussion on regional trade between them. No research has been done on the geopolitical and economic position of Pakistan in Central Asia, and the instability in Afghanistan is also affecting the associations between Pakistan and Central Asian States. In this research paper, the emphasis has been laid on why geostrategic and economic relations between Pakistan and Central Asian states are significant. Certain other questions have also been answered, like: what is the geopolitical significance of Pakistan and the CARs in world politics? What are the divergent interests of local and international powers in Central Asia? And how has the conflict of interests among these actors hampered the economic development of Pakistan and the CARs? Descriptive and analytical research methodologies are used to probe into the phenomenon of global politics.