“ Changing Regional Apparatus “Pakistan Role in the Region % Regional Cooperation Organization “* SAARC And Pakistan Role “ SCO And Pakistan Role “ECO and Pakistan Role The South Asian region is experiencing political uncertainty, especially in Afghanistan and Kashmir. Major global powers, including the United States, China, and Russia, are shifting their focus in the region. China is expanding its influence, including in Pakistan. The relationship between Pakistan and the U.S. has seen ups and downs, especially after military aid cuts under former U.S. President Donald Trump. While Pakistan wants better ties with the U.S., the growing U.S.-China rivalry complicates this. Meanwhile, China continues to invest heavily in Pakistan through projects like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and Pakistan is also strengthening its defense ties with Russia. At the same time, the U.S. is deepening its defense partnership with India. 1. Pakistan-China Economic Partnership (CPEC): China and Pakistan are working closely on a big project called the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). China is investing $62 billion to help Pakistan grow its economy, not just its military. The project will be done in three steps. By 2025, they plan to build factories and industries, and by 2030, they want to expand the project even more. 2. Pakistan-India Military Tensions: In February 2019, a bomb attack in Kashmir killed 46 people, mostly Indian soldiers. India blamed Pakistan for the attack. Later, Indian jets entered Pakistani airspace and claimed to destroy a terrorist camp in Balakot, but they couldn’t prove it. Pakistan denied the claims and shot down two Indian jets in response. Since then, tensions have risen, and there’s a risk of war in South Asia. In August 2019, India removed the special status of Kashmir, but it’s struggling to control protests there. India’s harsh methods are not working.3. Afghanistan Crisis: After the US left Afghanistan, the Taliban took over. While Pakistan and the Taliban have friendly ties, the situation in Afghanistan is a big problem for Pakistan. Afghanistan is facing a huge humanitarian crisis, with 97% of its people at risk of poverty. Pakistan can’t handle this alone and is working with China and Gulf countries to send aid to Afghanistan. 4. Iran’s Challenges: Tran and Saudi Arabia are rivals in the Middle East and have different views on Afghanistan. Saudi Arabia, along with the UAE and Pakistan, supported the Taliban in the 1990s, but now they’re not ready to recognize the Taliban again. Iran still has an embassy in Kabul, but the region’s politics are very complicated. Iran is also under heavy sanctions, and India has stopped working on a key project with Iran. This makes things difficult for Pakistan, which needs to be careful in its decisions. 5. India-US Partnership: Since 2007, India and the US have become strong partners. The US has criticized Pakistan publicly, and India is getting advanced technology and weapons from the US. 6. Russia’s Changing Role: Russia’s relationship with India is shifting. It’s now selling weapons to Pakistan and conducting joint military exercises with them, which is improving Pakistan-Russia ties. India-US Partnership The relationship between India and the United States has been growing since 2000 when US President Bill Clinton visited India. A key moment was the signing of a nuclear deal, which made their partnership stronger. In 2009, President Obama boosted ties during Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit. Under Prime Minister Modi, the relationship improved even more. This partnership is important because of the close ties between Russia, China, and Pakistan. ‘The US and India work together in areas like defense, space, technology, and nuclear energy. They support each other on issues like India joining global groups, its role in Afghanistan, fighting terrorism, and stopping the spread of nuclear weapons. This partnership helps India become a stronger regional power and balances China's influence. Economically, trade and investments between the two countries have grown a lot. In defense, India has bought billions of dollars worth of military equipment from the US, and now they are working together to develop and produce defense technology. The US is also interested in India's space program, and both countries are committed to working together in cyberspace. Even though the US has left Afghanistan and India's role there has decreased, India is still important for protecting US interests in the region, especially in countering China's growing power.Pak-China Economic and Security Cooperation Pakistan is worried that the United States favors India over Pakistan, which could create security problems in the region. During President Barack Obama’s time in office, he visited India twice, improving trade and business ties between the two countries. The U.S. wants a strong partnership with India to limit China's influence in the region and supports India’s bid for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council. This focus on India could weaken Pakistan’s position. Since the 9/11 attacks, terrorism has been a major problem for both Pakistan and the U.S. China has been helping Pakistan by providing military support to fight terrorism. Both countries are working together to promote peace, especially in Afghanistan. Since Pakistan and China share a border with Afghanistan, they are concerned about terrorist groups hiding there, which could threaten their security. Both nations believe that peace in Afghanistan should be achieved through political talks led by Afghanistan itself. In 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Pakistan, and both countries launched. the China-Pakistan Economie Corridor (CPEC), a major trade and development project. China has invested heavily in building roads, energy projects, and industries in Pakistan. The goal is to improve Pakistan's economy and increase regional cooperation. China expects this project to boost Pakistan’s economic growth by 2%. Pakistan and China are also strengthening their defense relationship. China is selling advanced military equipment, including submarines, to Pakistan. This shows that China sees Pakistan as a key security partner. CPEC is the biggest foreign investment Pakistan has received since its independence. It is expected to improve Pakistan’s economy, create jobs, and increase trade. China’s growing global role is reflected in its strong support for Pakistan's economic and military development. Their relationship continues to grow in trade, security, and foreign policy. India's Interest in Afghanistan In 2011, India and Afghanistan signed a strategic partnership with US support. The US encouraged India to play a bigger role in Afghanistan, focusing on humanitarian and development projects, especially in small industries. India helped Afghanistan join the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and strengthened cultural ties. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to support Afghanistan in governance, security, and economic growth. India was a major donor, providing aid for infrastructure and capacity-building during the Ghani government. India's interests in Afghanistan included stopping terrorism from spreading, gaining access to Central Asia, and reducing Pakistan's influence. The Taliban's return has been a setback for India, making it one of the most disadvantaged players in the region. India closed its missions in Afghanistan and evacuated its staff and citizens. While India's domestic politics keep it distant from the Taliban, its strategic interests push it to engage with the new government. India hasinvested over $3 billion in Afghan development projects and had strong ties with the US-backed Kabul government. Despite the challenges, India wants to maintain relations to protect its investments and achieve its strategic and economic goals. There have been talks between India's ambassador to Qatar and senior Taliban leaders. The Taliban have expressed a desire for good relations with India and clarified they are not involved in the Kashmir dispute, which India sees as a renewed threat. Pakistan's Afghan Conundrum Since the Taliban took control of Kabul, Pakistan has taken a leading role in addressing two major concerns for the region and the world: 1. Monitoring and engaging with the Taliban government. 2. Urging international support to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Pakistan has called for a coordinated approach from the region and the world. At the 17th session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on December 16, 2021, the situation in Afghanistan was discussed. Pakistan's position is based on not interfering in other countries’ internal affairs, which makes the issue of human rights complicated. However, as the international community expects the Taliban government to follow international norms and improve conditions in Afghanistan, Pakistan has urged the Taliban to move in that direction. Pakistan has also separated humanitarian aid from political conditions. Pakistan is worried about the influx of Afghan refugees, which could bring security threats and economic burdens. Other unresolved issues include the Pakistan- Afghanistan border (Durand Line) and the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan, such as the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Baloch Raaji Aajaoi Sangar (BRAS). and Islamic State-Khorasan. While Pakistan continues to engage with the world to improve the situation in Afghanistan, it is not receiving reciprocal benefits. Pakistan needs to address issues that directly affect its interests, such as border recognition and dealing with the TTP and other groups. If the Taliban government fails to address these concerns, it could become as problematic as the previous US-backed governments.