Post-partition

Chapter no:1 Land and people of Pakistan:

Geography:
Past papers question:

 Short Note: Geo-Political position of Pakistan. (2003)

 Define and explain the geographic inertia and its role in the development of Pakistan (2005)

 Political map of Pakistan is the outcome of its geo-strategic location. Give a reasoned account
for the statement. (2006)

Introduction:
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. The name Pakistan means
literally "a land abounding in the pure" or "a land in which the pure abound",

The name of the country was coined in 1933 by Choudhry Rahmat Ali, a Pakistan Movement activist,
who published it in a pamphlet Now or Never,[33] using it as an acronym ("thirty million Muslim brethren
who live in PAKISTAN"), and referring to the names of the five northern regions of the British
Raj: Punjab, Afghania, Kashmir, Sindh, and Baluchistan.

It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population exceeding 225.2 million, and has the
world's second-largest Muslim population.

Pakistan is the 33rd-largest country by area, spanning 881,913 square kilometres (340,509 square miles).
It has a 1,046-kilometre (650-mile) coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south, being
bordered by India to the east, Afghanistan to the west, Iran to the southwest, and China to the
northeast.

It is separated narrowly from Tajikistan by Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor in the northwest, and also

shares a maritime border with Oman.

Its capital is Islamabad, in the foothills of the Himalayas in the northern part of the country, and its
largest city is Karachi, in the south on the coast of the Arabian Sea.

Geo- Strategic importance of pakistan:

Stephen Cohn describes this importance “While history has been unkind to Pakistan, its geography has
been its greatest benefit. It has resource rich area in the north-west, people rich in the north-east.”

Pakistan’s geo-strategic importance can be best understood in the regional and global perspective. In
geographical terms, it is surrounded by four countries: Afghanistan, Iran, India and China, each of which
is a major player in international politics. In one way or the other, Pakistan is vital for these countries
and this raises its international stature. Afghanistan which is now the focus of world’s attention is
generally regarded as the breeding ground of all the international terrorism, militancy and opium
production and the whole world, including the US realises the fact that no peace is possible in
Afghanistan without the active support and cooperation of Pakistan. 
 Geo- Strategic means importance of a country or a region as by virtue of its geographical location, and it
is based on two domains which is

 Geo-political domains
 Geo-economic domains

Geo- political position:

Geo political is defined as, stressing the influence of geographic factors on the state power, international
conduct and advantages it derives from its location. Pakistan emerged on the map of the world as a
sovereign and independent state in August 1947, it was like a baby in ICU with hardly any prospect of
survival, on account of its extremely vulnerable defence and fragile economy. However, despite
numerous setbacks, crises and turmoils of gigantic magnitude, it has so far been able to survive and
make some progress due to several factors, perhaps the most important of which is its strategic
geographical location and its particular ideology.

Pakistan enjoys a highly strategic geopolitical location, being situated at the corridor of major maritime
and land-based transit routes reaching from energy-rich Central Asia and the Middle East to the
population centers of South and East Asia, as well as having geostrategic hotspots such
as Afghanistan, China, India and Iran as immediate neighbors. Pakistan maintains a tense
relationship with the Republic of India due to the Kashmir conflict, close ties with the People's Republic
of China, Turkey, Russia and Gulf Arab states and a fluctuating relationship with the United States of
America due to overlapping interests during the Cold War and War on Terror. 

Pakistan is located at a region which has a great economic, political and strategic location. It has been
the hub of great activities for the past twenty years. Pakistan is a junction of South Asia, West Asia and
Central Asia, a way from resource efficient countries to resource deficient countries. The world is facing
energy crisis and terrorism. Pakistan is a route for transportation, and a front line state against
terrorism. Pakistan has witnessed the intervention of three great powers Britons, U.S.S.R and U.S. Its
significance is further enhanced during the cold war when it became the alley of the U.S policy of
containment of U.S.S.R and now the post cold war era .

Now, the US and NATO troops fighting in Afghanistan are well aware that they are heavily dependent on
Pakistan for winning the war in Afghanistan. Afghanistan has other neighbours also such as Iran,
Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, but Pakistan provides the easiest route for the provision of NATO supplies
to the forces in Afghanistan. Moreover, being a land locked country, Afghanistan has to rely heavily on
Pakistan for its cross border trade and economy.

Pakistan’s eastern neighbour India with its huge market and its nuclear capability, is also ambitious of
becoming a global power with a permanent seat in the Security Council. Apparently it insists that a
strong, stable and democratic Pakistan is in its (India’s) interests, because any extremist or
fundamentalist government in Pakistan may lead to more violence and terrorism in India.

But the fact is that India itself has always been bent upon destroying Pakistan. In 1971, when it
succeeded in the dismemberment of Pakistan, its army chief at that time told his government that if he
was given a few more days, he could easily take the rest of Pakistan. But the then US President Nixon
warned Indira Gandhi not to go too far in her ambitions against Pakistan. Nixon is quoted to have said,
‘Old witch, enough is enough.

Thus, it were the Americans who saved the rest of Pakistan from going into Indian hands at that time.
But they did so because they were fully conscious of Pakistan’s geo-strategic significance and hoped to
use it at some later stage for their own interests. As stated earlier, during the days of the Soviet Union’s
occupation of Afghanistan, Americans successfully used Pakistan as a frontline state against their enemy
in the Cold War. Similarly, since the 9/11 attacks, they have again been exploiting it for their own
political, economic and strategic interests.

The 9/11 attacks and the toppling of the Taliban regime in the wake of the US led invasion
dramatically changed the situation, which once again forced the West to realise the strategic
importance of its old forgotten ally Pakistan.

Our third nuclear neighbour is China, which is the upcoming superpower both in economic and military
terms. In the times to come, it is likely to be the only rival of the US economically as well as militarily. It
is evident that the US is strengthening India so that in the times to come, it may be helpful for it in any
eventual confrontation with China. In this situation, China naturally seeks closer ties with Pakistan which
is also opposed to the expansionist designs of India.

Furthermore, for its rapidly flourishing international trade, China looks towards Pakistan for giving it an
easy access to the Muslim countries of Central Asia and the Middle East. It is worth remembering that
sea transport is 10 times cheaper than the land transport. Realising this fact, China has invested heavily
in the Gwadar Port Project. In spite of the fact that some of its engineers and technicians working in
Pakistan have been kidnapped and even killed, it is determined to remain associated with the Gwadar
Project because it is fully aware of its potential economic and commercial benefits. It is generally
believed that Kashmir is a disputed territory between India and Pakistan. But it is not known to many
people that some mountainous snow clad unpopulated area of Kashmir near Siachin Glacier is under
Chinese control. Thus, China is also a party to the Kashmir dispute and there can be no just, permanent
and comprehensive settlement of the dispute without active participation of China.

Pakistan’s strategic position in the world has been considerably increased ever since it has achieved
nuclear capability, which has made it the only Muslim country armed with atomic weapons. When India
carried out nuclear explosions in 1974 and began threatening Pakistan, Bhutto declared despite the US
opposition that Pakistan would also make atomic bomb even if its people had to eat grass for this
purpose. The outraged Americans threatened to make him an example for others and succeeded in
removing him from power in 1977.

It is interesting to note that while they were annoyed with Bhutto for starting nuclear programme, they
had to allow Zia-ul-Haq to continue this programme only because at that time, they needed his help in
the Afghan conflict against the Soviet Union. In the mid-1980s, Pakistan’s atomic bomb was ready and
thus the balance of power in the region was restored.

It is said that when Zia-ul-Haq went to India during his cricket diplomacy, he asked Indian Prime Minister
Rajiv Gandhi how many atomic bombs were required to destroy Pakistan. Rajiv replied that only two or
three could eliminate Pakistan. Zia-ul-Haq then asked him how many such bombs were needed to
destroy India. Rajiv said that he thought six or seven were sufficient. Hearing this, Zia stood up and
remarked, ‘Rajiv, shake hands, I have more than seven. He further said, ‘If India is destroyed, Hinduism
will be eliminated, but if Pakistan is eliminated, Islam will not be eliminated.’

In these circumstances, India was compelled to hold negotiations with Pakistan about the no-war or
non-aggression pact. Later, in 1998, when India again carried out nuclear explosions, Pakistan came
under enormous international pressure not to conduct its own nuclear tests. While Western powers
were pressurising the government Iran offered huge financial help and Saudi Arabia promised to supply
large quantities of cheap oil in case of international economic sanctions. Pakistan’s nuclear explosions
proved very helpful in highlighting the need for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute, because the
whole world realized that in case of another war on Kashmir, nuclear weapons could be used, causing
unimaginable destruction.

Pakistan is a poor country confronting countless problems and facing grave energy shortages but even
then, its nuclear power has significantly elevated its importance in the international community. A
historian has perhaps rightly said that in almost 80 years since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, if
any worth mentioning incident took place in the whole Muslim world, it was in May 1998, when
Pakistan carried out its nuclear explosions.

Situated in South Asia, Pakistan is a gateway to Central Asia and its Arabian Sea provides an easy access
to the countries of the Middle East. It lies in the neighbourhood of China and India which due to their
huge markets are supposed to be the economic giants of future. Among the innumerable gifts bestowed
upon Pakistan by nature, perhaps one of the most important ones is its ideal and highly strategic
geographical location. If it is prudently used, it can make our country the hub of international trade and
commerce, opening up new doors of progress and prosperity for its people.

1. 1. PROXIMITY OF GREAT POWERS

2. 2. GATEWAY TO CENTRAL ASIA

3. 3. SIGNIFICANCE AS A TRANSIT ECONOMY

4. 4. IMPORTANT LINK IN THE CHAIN OF MUSLIM COUNTRIES

5. 5. ONLY MUSLIM COUNTRY WITH NUCLEAR CAPABILITY

6. 6. CHINA'S LINK TO THE MIDDLE EAST

7. 7. REDUCE INDIAN HEGEMONY IN THE ARABIAN SEA AND INDIAN OCEAN

8. 12.  Russia and China are busy to give check to US Power in this region and in other regions like
Middle East, Africa, North America, Europe and Far East ASIA  US interests in this Region 1.
Security Policy of Pax –Americana in order to restraint world dynamics from Unipolarity to multi-
polarity US interest in the region to contain the growing china, nuclear Iran, terrorist
Afghanistan 2. Business To benefit from the market of India and Central Asia GEO-STRATEGIC
IMPORTANCE OF PAKISTAN 22 January 2014 12

9. 14.  Central Asia is the center stage of new Great games: Western quest for resources- oil and
energy resources in the central Asia  Pakistan is located very close to the oil rich M.E region
and C.A States  Pakistan can influence shipment of oil  Iran is struggling to export its surplus
 gas and oil to Eastern countries, Qatar, Pakistan and Turkmenistan pipeline projects highlight
the position  In this scare energy world, Pakistan can provide access from energy efficient to
energy deficient state GEO-STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF PAKISTAN 22 January 2014 14

10. 16.  land locked Afghanistan now at the phase of reconstruction finds its ways through
Pakistan  China with its fastest economy growth rate of 9% GDP developing southern provinces
because its own part is 4500 km away from Sinkiang but Gawader is 2500 km away  Pakistan
offers central Asian regions the shortest route of 2600 km as compared to Iran 4500 km or
turkey 5000 km  Gwadar Port with its deep waters attracts the trade ships of china, CAR and
south east Asian countries GEO-STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF PAKISTAN 22 January 2014 16

11. 17. Karakorum Highway Map GEO-STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF PAKISTAN 22 January 2014 17

12. 18.  Geographically, Pakistan is situated at the centre of the Islamic countries of Africa and Asia
 It is linked to these Muslim states through land and sea routes and thus not only its ideological
background, but its geographical centrality necessities that it supports the unity of Muslim world
 Prior to the cessation of East Pakistan, it was the largest Islamic state and naturally was in the
vanguard of the movement for Islamic unity  Even afterwards, it actively works for the mutual
alliance and unity of the Muslims GEO-STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF PAKISTAN 22 January 2014
18

13. 19.  Pakistan is the only direct and shortest link between China and the Middle East  Gulf
States possessing 63% of world’s oil reserves  In development of this link PN plays an
important role by making Gwadar a fully functional port with support of china  Gwadar will
prove instrumental in promoting transshipment essentially of containerized cargo besides
unlocking the development potential for hinterland GEO-STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF PAKISTAN
22 January 2014 19

14. 20.  India has a shared interests with the U.S and NATO in the subjection of Pakistan  As they
consider Nuclear weapons of Pakistan as a threat to Indian national security, NATO operations in
Afghanistan, and Israel  Pakistan have nuclear deterrence since 1998. Pakistan termed its
nuclear bomb as “ISLAMIC BOMB” that made it centre of attention in the world politics GEO-
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF PAKISTAN 22 January 2014 20

15. 21.  The U.S, NATO, Israel, and India to neutralize such a strategic and tactical threat from
emerging in Pakistan  They have made plan underpinned objective of Balkanizing Pakistan 
It’s the reason on that the US has conspired with international media against PAK NUKES  Most
importantly Pakistan has world best missile technology and perceived enemies capitals are in
Pakistan range like GEO-STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF PAKISTAN 22 January 2014 21

16. 22. Missiles Ranges 1. Distance of Israel from Pakistan Miles 2085 Shaheen-3 4500 km
Kilometers 3335 Ghori-3 3500 km (In range of Ghouri-3) Babur-3 1500 km Tipu-1 5000 km Tipu-4
12000 km 2. Distance of USA from Islamabad Washington 11388 km White house 11600 km (In
range of Tipu-4) GEO-STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF PAKISTAN 22 January 2014 22