GEO strategic location means the importance
of a country or a region as by virtue of its geographical location,
South Asians states are very important because of their geo-strategic
location; and their location has evoked much interest not only among the
major powers and other small states but also their strategic location
is important for each other, because of the trade purposes to other
states. South Asia has seven states, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan,
Bangladesh, Maldives, and Srilanka.
Pakistan is geo-strategically more important than other South
Asian states, Pakistan is bridge between South Asia and South West
Asia; Iran and Afghanistan are rich in energy resources while India and
China are lacking of, so they need access to these states and Pakistan
can provide them route to Iran and Afghanistan, IPI and APTTA are
evidence of geo-strategic importance of Pakistan. Pakistan is cheaper
way for India for IPI project, India can trade with Iran with other
routs also but those are expensive ways, but Pakistan is much cheaper
way of trade for India not only with Iran but also with Afghanistan and
Central Asian states. APTTA, India and Afghanistan wants trade Chaman to
Wagha border through Pakistan, Pakistan is bridge between Afghanistan
and India, APTTA has serious consequences for Pakistan this is other
story, but Pakistan geo-strategic location is very important for these
states. Pakistan geo-strategic location, some times had made trouble for
Pakistan as during cold war United States use Pakistan in proxy war
against Soviet Union, in 1979 Soviet attack on Afghanistan, United
States (US) did utilize Pakistan location because Pakistan shares border
with Afghanistan and now in global war on terror (WOT) Pakistan had to
pay a lot because of its border with Afghanistan, US did choose
Pakistan’s land for fight against WOT. US interests in the region are to
contain the growing China, nuclear ambition of Iran,
terrorist/terrorism in Afghanistan, and to benefit from the market of
India. Security and Business are two main objectives and interests of US
in the region while Pakistan is playing a front line role in war
against terrorism and by utilizing Pakistan’s strategic location US can
get its objectives. For US, Pakistan geo-strategically important because
US is sole super power, and to prevent the rise of any rival, China or
any European power, the United States desires to dominate in the Middle
East and Central Asia, because they are rich in oil and gas resources.
So through Pakistan US can dominant in these regions and can minimize
the influence of other competitors. Saudi Arabia had both the
geo-strategic and as well as geo-political interest in Pakistan. Saudi
Arab saw Pakistan a strategic balancer of Iran. The United States and
Saudi Arabia viewed Pakistan as a catalyst for any military strikes on
Iran.
Pakistan is near with Central Asian Republics (CARs) and CARs
are rich in oil and gas resources, they are landlocked states and need a
corridor for export of their energy resources and a transit route for
trade and commerce, Pakistan can provide them rout for trade with other
states, so for Afghanistan and CARs Pakistan’s geo-strategic location is
very important for trade purposes. Pakistan’s strategic location is
also crucial for China because China finds way to Indian Ocean and
Arabian Sea through Korakaram. China is economic power and china’s
economy is rapidly growing, so to maintain it economic growth China need
access to other states for trade purposes, Pakistan’s Gwadar Port is
very important for China because it can provide China trade rout. China
needs Pakistan because Pakistan strategic location can provide China,
transit trade route for western region, energy corridor to import oil
from the Gulf region, naval facilities on the Arabian Sea coast to
protect its energy supply line from the Middle East. China is expanding
its cooperation with Pakistan in Saindak project, it can make trouble
for Pakistan because US is not happy for presence of China in Pakistan
while for China Pakistan’s strategic location has importance to enhance
its economic growth.
Bangladesh’s location within the ‘geo-strategic frontier’ of
India, which is South Asia’s most powerful country, Bangladesh being in
close proximity with China, which is Asia’s largest power, and also
considered a strategic rival of both the US and India.
Bangladesh is bounded with India almost entirely on three
sides except for a small but significant border in the southeast with
Myanmar. Border with Myanmar makes importance of Bangladesh’s location.
More important thing about importance of Bangladesh geo-strategic
location is that it is very important for two strategic rivals China and
India, because in the north Bangladesh is separated from the Himalayan
kingdoms of Nepal and Bhutan by a strip of India’s territory, which is
known as Shiliguri Corridor; the Shiliguri Corridor is regarded as a
very sensitive strategic land for India, it being the only land
connection with the insurgent-infested Northeastern states of India,
known as the Seven Sisters, if this land connection will block in future
by any internal or external elements, India would find itself cut off
from its strategic part Seven State Sisters, so in that situation only
alternative way for India to reach its important part of land is
strategic corridor through Bangladesh. The importance of such an
alternative route through Bangladesh first realized during the 1962
Sino-Indian war, when China threatened to cut off India’s Line of
Communication in the Seven Sisters, particularly in NEFA (North East
Frontier Agency) now called Arunachal Pradesh. India has threat and also
well aware of this fact that China is capable of cutting off the vital
communication line between the Northeastern Seven Sisters with the rest
of the Indian Union, so India admits the strategic importance of
Bangladesh, and the Bangladesh is strategically very important for India
because of this alternative rout. Seven state Sisters is land-locked
and has shorter route to the sea through Bangladesh. Bangladesh
geo-strategic location is also important for China, because China enjoys
access to the Bay of Bengal through Myanmar. Bangladesh’s proposal to
connect Kunming with Bangladesh by road through Myanmar could be an
alternative route for China; India is incredulous about Sino-Bangla
understanding and possible cooperation in nuclear energy sector.
Bangladesh is with in close proximity with Arunachal Pradesh, which is
still disputed land between China and India, that’s why Bangladesh
strategic location is important for both China and India.
Nepal and Bhutan are also geo-strategically important; they
both have energy resources. Bhutan shares border with India, so India is
getting benefit from Bhutan’s location, in 2003, Bhutan exported 70% of
its hydroelectricity to India, which continues to be Bhutan’s biggest
trading partner. As India’s electricity demands are expected to double
over the next decade, so Nepal and Bhutan are very important for India.
As these states has hydro power potential, in return of APTTA, Pakistan
wants from India trade rout to these states, because India shares border
with these states so trade rout through India is cheaper way for
Pakistan. Bhutan by developing its hydropower capacity can increase its
exports to other South Asian countries and can support a strong regional
energy alliance but Bhutan needs India’s land for import and exports
purposes. India’s geo-strategic location is also important for
Bangladesh because Bangladesh’s energy security strategy relies on
import of hydro based electricity from Bhutan or Nepal, so Bangladesh
needs rout access through India.
Nepal shares close geographic proximity with the two
acknowledged nuclear weapons states in Asia; Nepal is sandwich between
two major powers India and China, Nepal is near to Tibet which is
disputed area between India and china, and Nepal is home of 12,000
Tibetans refugees. Nepal geo strategic location is beneficial for China
and India but it is threat for Nepal, because Nepal lay between two
powerful rivals, Nepal is most unlikely to face direct foreign military
invasion because of its geopolitical location.
South Asian states are prominent and very important because
of their geo-strategic location, instead of getting benefits, their
geo-strategic location become intricacy for these states. A famous
Kenyan proverb says “when elephants fight, it is grass which has to
suffer” South Asian states become battle field between strategic
competitors because of their strategic location, Nepal is between two
rivals, in event of any conflict between these two states, Nepal will
has to suffer. Pakistan because of its geo-strategic location has to
involve in WOT; Pakistan shares border with nuclear Iran, it has
negative consequences for Pakistan, US wants to counter Iran and using
Pakistan territory, US also wants to minimize China’s influence in the
region, so US using Pakistan’s land to get long term objectives
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