OPINION Vol.1, No.1 June 2013 - National Defence University

Introduction
SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA
The regions of South and Central Asia share a rich historical legacy, that stretches back several
millennia to at least 1500 BC, and have interacted over centuries until it was interrupted by the competition
for dominance over the area between the British and Russian Empires. In the world of interdependency, the
need for cooperation between South Asia and Central Asia is reinforced by the common challenges faced by
the two regions. These challenges are threat of terrorism and extremism, narco-trade, economic development,
rising demand of energy in South Asia and need for diversification of trade and energy export of Central Asia.
Working together, the two regions stand a better chance to meet these challenges. However, good neighbourly
relations between Pakistan and India, and peace and stability in Afghanistan are pivotal to building linkages
between South and Central Asia.
Aim
To identify the prospective areas of cooperation between South and Central Asia, focusing on
economy, energy and security, with a view to bringing out opportunities and challenges for Pakistan.
Scope
The paper will encompass following major aspects:-
• Geo-strategic Perspective and Inter-regional Cooperation
• Economic and Energy Cooperation
• Regional Peace and Security
• Role of External Players and Organizations
• Challenges and Opportunities for Pakistan
• Recommendations
GEO-STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE AND INTER-REGIONAL COOPERATION
Rudyard Kipling is reported to have observed in 1901 that the “fate of the great game in Central Asia
would be won by the country that succeeded in building the largest network of railroads”. In the contemporary
version of this great game, pipelines appear to have replaced the railway network in strategic significance. 1
Geo-Strategic Perspective
The South and Central Asian region has a combined land area of nearly nine million square
kilometers. Besides lying at the fulcrum of Asia, region also derives its strategic significance from the fact
that it borders two of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – China and Russia. South Asia
comprises eight countries Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The region is home to around one-fourth of the world population and has an area of five million square
kilometers. Its geo-strategic salience is supported by proximity to resource rich Persian Gulf, Central Asia and
rising China, control over important sea routes in Indian Ocean, access to warm waters of Arabian Sea for
Central Asia, emerging economies of the region and large consumer market and current security dynamics in
Afghanistan. Central Asia consists of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The
region has an area of four million square kilometers. The economic significance of region has added to its
geo-strategic importance. The salient aspects are; huge oil and gas reserves in the region, transportation hub
for gas and oil pipelines and communication corridors, especially connecting China and Russia and located at
the crossroads between Asia and Europe.
Inter-Regional Cooperation
In this world of increasing interdependence under the tide of globalization, no country is in a position
to achieve the goal of economic development without cooperation from other countries. South Asia is
experiencing a demographic boom. South Asian countries receive bulk of their oil imports travelling over sea
routes. From a pragmatic perspective, natural resources of Central Asian Republics (CARs) present next-door
sources of energy for South Asian countries. Similarly, the land-locked countries of Central Asia would
benefit greatly from accessing Arabian Sea ports. From the security perspective, both the regions face host of
challenges to include security situation in Afghanistan, terrorism, border security and flow of opiates. The
nature of these threats is trans-national and certainly warrants an integrated response.
OPINION Vol.1 No.1 1 June 2013