A new silk road

PM Imran Khan envisions Pakistan as a gateway to landlocked Central Asia

Since its inception, Pakistan’s unique geographical positioning vested in it a strategic potential to offer its land-locked neighbours beyond its northern borders, access to warm waters in it south and hence to the international marine superhighway. For a majority of its existence, however, the country only inched towards developing the infrastructure necessary for such a major undertaking. But over the past decade, Islamabad has moved to not only fill the infrastructure gaps within its boundaries but also strengthen its ties with preferred northern partners and finally realise its potential.

Recently, Pakistan assured Uzbekistan access to its ports during a recent visit to Islamabad by the country’s foreign minister. PM Imran Khan told the visiting dignitary that he envisions Pakistan as a gateway to landlocked Central Asia. This vision espouses the essence of the recent accord signed between Islamabad, Kabul and Tashkent to develop a railway line, apart from another project whereby a road link will be built via China while bypassing Afghanistan. A direct air link has also been proposed.

Centuries before Pakistan’s creation, this land served as a major conduit for the great East-West trade over the fabled Silk Route. The allure of warm waters off the Pakistani coast triggered the Afghan conflict that essentially slammed the brakes on Pakistan’s push towards Central Asia. However, thanks to China, work on building multiple routes connecting to Central Asia and building a new Silk Road is underway — the essential target of CPEC.

The development of these routes is the manifestation of the game-changer potential of CPEC. Pakistan has also strategically leveraged religious brotherhood in the Central Asian region to develop bilateral relations. However, Islamabad would need to be careful to avoid anger from developing in Afghanistan — which always saw itself as a key piece to solving Pakistan’s Central Asian puzzle. If managed properly, this new Silk Road will prove to be a new future for the country. Fail, and you push the country back another 50 years.