Tayyaba Tehseen
The geostrategic importance makes Pakistan a hard country. It plays a complex role in regional and international politics. This state is directly connected with five major regions. In the South West, Pakistan bordered Iran which is in the Middle East. North West, bordered Afghanistan which is semi Central Asian country. On the North, it bordered China which is in East Asia. In the east, Pakistan bordered India which is in South Asia. On the South is the Arabian Sea where Pakistan ends sea with Iran and Oman. Alfred Thayer Mahan, a wellknown American naval officer and geopolitical theorist once stated that “Asia is under the authority of whoever rules the Indian Ocean. The seven seas can be accessed through this ocean. The course of the globe would be determined by its seas in the twenty-first century”.
After the Second World War, the partition of India and Pakistan occurred, changing the dynamics of South Asia both geographically and geopolitically. However, America considered the defense of this region to be the responsibility of the British. At the beginning of the Cold War era, America did not fully recognize the geopolitical and geographical importance and potential of Pakistan, nor did they prioritize diplomatic relations with this country, which is situated in a strategically significant position in the South Asian region.
Pakistan’s geopolitical situation was complex from its independence, especially before the partition of East Pakistan, as it comprised two separate wings sharing borders with India, a hostile neighbor. This unique positioning made Pakistan a significant zone on the global stage. The Western world viewed Pakistan differently in every era, often to achieve its short-term objectives in the region.
Strategically, West Pakistan’s geographical position connected it to Middle Eastern countries, while East Pakistan was near Southeast Asia. The western side of Pakistan shared borders with Afghanistan, Iran, Chinese Turkistan, and the Soviet Union. The distance between West Pakistan and the Soviet Union was less than 100 miles. In Soviet Central Asia, the city of Tashkent, about 500 miles from Peshawar and 1,000 miles from Karachi, held regional significance.
Geopolitics of the region is very fascinating. East Pakistan, located in Southeast Asia, shared three of its borders with the antagonistic neighbor India and one with Burma. Its coastline opened onto waters that separated the Pacific Ocean from the Indian Ocean. Both parts of Pakistan held vital strategic importance. West Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan, historically a traditional invasion route into the Indo-Pak subcontinent, meant no one could enter Indian Territory by land without first passing through Pakistan. This geostrategic environment raised significant defense concerns for Pakistan, finding itself in a hostile situation due to its relationships with India and Afghanistan, stemming from the unresolved issues of Kashmir and the Durand Line, legacies of British colonialism.
Pakistan faced serious security concerns and, having not received its fair share of ammunition and equipment from the old British Indian Army at the time of partition, recognized the crucial need to establish a well-equipped, trained, and strong army to secure its eastern and western borders.
The Indo-Pak War of 1965 was a significant regional conflict between India and Pakistan. The war had two main triggers: the border clashes in the Rann of Kutch in April 1965, where Indian troops crossed into Pakistani territory, and the launch of Operation Gibraltar in August 1965 to support the liberation movement in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Instead of confining the conflict to Kashmir, India opened up the international border at Lahore and Sialkot, leading to a full-scale war between the two nations. By September 22, 1965, both parties agreed to a ceasefire ordered by the United Nations.
On September 20, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution demanding an end to the hostilities. On January 10, 1966, Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and Pakistani President Ayub Khan signed the Tashkent Agreement in Uzbekistan, pledging to withdraw to pre-August lines.
Similarly, in March 1971, a civil war erupted in East Pakistan, now known as Bangladesh. The conflict was triggered by the oppressive actions of the autocrats in West Pakistan. General Yahya Khan, the supreme commander of Pakistan’s armed forces, ordered action against the alleged Bengali separatists. India intervened in the civil war, providing substantial assistance to the Bengali secessionists who sought independence from West Pakistan. Consequently, India became deeply involved in the conflict, launching land, air, and sea assaults on East Pakistan. The operation lasted only thirteen days but led to the separation of East Pakistan. Tensions between India and Pakistan persisted until July 1972, when both nations signed the Shimla Agreement, committing to resolve their disputes through peaceful means. Since then, on broader level, India and Pakistan have maintained peace with each other.
Now, if we look into the Pak-America relations, they began after Pakistan emerged as a sovereign state. America welcomed Pakistan as a partner, and the two countries collaborated in various sectors. America provided assistance to Pakistan in economic, social, and military areas. Both the nations signed several agreements, including CENTO and SEATO, to strengthen their relationship. However, during critical times, such as the 1965 conflict and the 1971 war when Pakistan lost its Eastern part, America did not offer any military assistance.
In 1990, America imposed several sanctions on Pakistan and cut off military aid under the Pressler Amendment due to Pakistan’s nuclear tests in 1998, which were a response to India’s nuclear program. These sanctions damaged America’s trustworthiness in Pakistan’s eyes.
Former President of Pakistan Zia-ul-Haq once stated, “It was generally believed that the United States had deceived a friend and ally at crucial junctures in history, particularly in 1965 and 1971.” This led to widespread skepticism about the reliability and durability of American guarantees.
The two wars in the South Asian region between neighboring countries created harsh circumstances for Pakistan’s geostrategic environment, causing serious defense concerns. With the collapse of colonialism, the world order shifted to a bipolar structure, dividing into two prominent blocs: the capitalist bloc led by the United States and the communist bloc led by the Soviet Union. When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, the region became a focal point of bipolar politics, and Afghanistan became a battleground for the proxy war between the USA and the Soviet Union.
Pakistan’s participation in this proxy war was seen as a strategic necessity. One perspective holds that during the 1971 war, India allied with Russia, which contributed to the independence of Bangladesh and Pakistan’s territorial loss. Therefore, Pakistan’s frontline role in the Soviet-Afghan conflict was viewed as a countermeasure to India’s previous actions.
Before aligning with the communist bloc, India was considered a pioneer of the Non-Aligned Movement. However, India later adopted a foreign policy based on its interests, supporting states that aligned with its goals while avoiding interference in others’ internal affairs. Additionally, Pakistan’s relations with Iran changed after Iran joined the communist bloc following the fall of Reza Shah Pahlavi’s dynasty, which had a neutral approach and supported American interests.
At that time, Pakistan was the only country in the South Asian region supporting the capitalist bloc. Pakistan’s decision to participate in the proxy war was crucial for deterring potential threats to its territory and securing its national interests. Without this strategic move, the Soviet Union might have attacked Pakistan, aiming to control its coastal areas, including the 770 km coastline in Baluchistan and 300 km in Sindh.
Pakistan played a major role in the Afghan proxy war led by America, gaining prominence in global politics due to its geographical position. One perspective is that Pakistan sought revenge on the Soviet Union through this proxy war, contributing significantly to the Soviet Union’s collapse. The impact of the Soviet-Afghan war on Pakistan was severe, affecting its social, economic, and political landscapes.
America adopted a counter-strategy against the Soviet Union, transforming bipolar politics into unipolar politics with the help of Pakistan, a Third World country. After the Soviet Union’s breakdown, the era of unipolar politics began, establishing America as the superpower. The new world order, based on unipolar politics, was applied globally, with the U.S. striving to establish pro-American states in every region.
Despite numerous challenges and an unequal partnership, Pakistan has contributed more than any other coalition partner of America in the global war on terror. Simultaneously, it has faced significant domestic and regional challenges, and the constant pressure from America to “do more” was highly condemnable.
Pakistan has always aimed to develop balanced and peaceful diplomatic relations on both regional and international scales, guided by the coherent foreign policy envisioned by its founding father after independence: “peace with all and enmity with none.” This message resonates with the nation.
Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, America has considered Pakistan an important state due to its geographical location and diplomatic recognition of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Pakistan, hence, became a frontline ally of America in the Global War on Terror (GWOT).
As an independent country, Pakistan faced a difficult choice in joining the U.S.-led war against terrorism in Afghanistan. Despite having no involvement in the 9/11 attacks, Pakistan has borne significant costs for American interests.
Here, I argue that war is not a solution for creating peace and highlight the enormous sacrifices Pakistan has made. According to the Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan has lost 83,000 lives in the war on terror, with the conflict costing the country approximately $126 billion.
As a sovereign state, Pakistan has taken significant security measures to eliminate these harsh elements that have caused unbearable terrorist activities. Pakistan’s positive and crucial role in regional connectivity is recognized internationally. Historically and from a forward-looking perspective, Pakistan’s geostrategic position in South Asia and its vital role in regional and international politics, in the context of regional and global peace, have been highly notable and appreciable in world affairs. This contribution remains valuable and significant today and always.
In summary, Pakistan’s resilience as a nation can be attributed to its geostrategic location, which has constantly placed it in the midst of various multidimensional challenges.
The author is a freelance researcher and holds an M. Phil. Degree from the University of Karachi.
