As if Pakistan did not already have enough internal challenges – the difficult economic situation, terrorism, rapid population growth, illiteracy and much more – it is also increasingly becoming the venue for geopolitical competition.
The state of war in neighboring Afghanistan has not only affected Pakistan, but has also increased the rivalry with arch-enemy India. Delhi has been intensifying relations with the government in Kabul for years, but goods are mainly exchanged via Iran and no longer via the usual route through Pakistan.
The USA, a protective power for decades, is increasingly turning away from its former ally in Islamabad and emphasizing its common strategic interests with India. Washington’s aim is to forge new alliances with the major challenger China. Pakistan is therefore “on the wrong side”. Beijing knows how to make perfect use of current developments and is expanding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor at top speed as part of the new Silk Road. It has already become Pakistan’s most important strategic partner by granting loans, expanding infrastructure, creating jobs and securing access to valuable resources and the deep-sea port of Gwadar. Islamabad is presumably aware of the increasing dependencies and the loss of state sovereignty – but are there alternatives? What can or will the EU or the USA, for example, offer to help the country in its critical situation? The Kashmir conflict is still overshadowing everyday political life and hindering Pakistan’s development. As a helpful neighbor, China could increasingly take on the role of a protective power – even if no one would say so.
Please also read our current analysis of the situation in Pakistan by IFK expert Markus Gauster. Here you can also find further articles by IFK head Brigadier Walter Feichtinger.
