CSS 2023 Special Solved Pakistan Affairs Past Papers | Geo-Strategic importance of Pakistan for its institutions
The following question of CSS Pakistan Affairs 2023 Special is solved by Miss Iqra Ali, Pakistan’s Best Pakistan Affairs Coach, on the guided pattern of Sir Syed Kazim Ali, which he taught to his students, scoring the highest marks in compulsory subjects for years. This solved past paper question is uploaded to help aspirants understand how to crack a topic or question, how to write relevantly, what coherence is, and how to include and connect ideas, opinions, and suggestions to score the maximum.
Question Breakdown
In this question, the examiner has asked you two things: first, about the strategic importance of Pakistan, and second, regarding how it has greatly affected the development of social and political institutions in Pakistan. So, first, you need to briefly introduce both points and try to write in chronological order. Then, write your answer by splitting it into parts as the question demands. Finally, end your answer with a critical analysis and conclusion. The following solved question provides a comprehensive answer covering all the main aspects. However, as far as the answer in the paper is concerned, limit yourself to 3 or 4 leading arguments against each part of the question.
Outline
1- Introduction
2- Understanding the Geo-Strategic Importance of Pakistan
- ✓The Geographic Location of the Country as a Source of Its Strategic Importance
- ✓Economic Advantages, CPEC and TAPI
- ✓The Role of a country’s Geo-Strategic Position in Regional Stability and Peace
3- How has the geo-strategic importance of Pakistan greatly affected the development of its social and political institutions?
3.1-Role of Geo-Strategic Importance in Affecting the Development of Political Institutions
- ✓Development of a Weak State and Strong Society
- ✓Role of the Geo-Strategic Importance in Making Alliances with the US, its Impact on Economy and Military
- ✓The Cost of Alliances, Military Exceeding Strength over the Civil Political Institutions
- ✓The Weakened Civil Political Institutions, the Center, and the Provinces
- ✓Development of the Judiciary as a Weak and Inefficient Political Institution
3.2-Role of Geo-strategic Importance in Affecting the Development of Social Institutions
- ✓Cost of Alliances and Military Spending, Under-Developed Social Sectors, such as Education and Health
- ✓Geo-strategic Importance Implied Cons during War on Terror 1999, Growth of Extremism and Radicalization in the Society
- ✓Civil Society Organization Dependency on External Aid and Platforms
- ✓Distorted Women’s Rights, Role of Strategic Alliances with the Conservative Gulf Countries
4- Conclusion
Answer to the Question
Introduction
Pakistan’s geography and its strategic importance have shaped its post-independence development of socio-political institutions. However, its geographic location at the crossroads of South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East is the source of its strategic importance. The country shares its borders with China, Afghanistan, India, and Iran in the South, North, West, and East, respectively. However, its proximity to regional hegemons, such as India, Russia, and China, provides strategic dangers and economic opportunities. In addition, its strategic importance encapsulates its ability to form an economic hub for trade and energy transmissions, providing interconnecting links between Iran, Afghanistan, and India and a supply route to Central Asia and India for energy supply. The $ 62 billion China-Pakistan-Economic-Corridor (CPEC) and $ 160 million Turkmenistan Afghanistan Pakistan India (TAPI) projects are the testimony of the economic opportunities offered due to the significance of its location. The perceptive example is the state-provided aid in identifying links of terrorist groups within its boundaries and in the region is vital for Britain, Europe, and the United States, not only for the prevention of terrorists but also for the preservation of regional peace and dilution of retrogressive tendencies in South Asia. By taking advantage of its geostrategic importance, the country’s inclination toward the West for economic and strategic gains has strengthened military over civil institutions. A product of this inclination is the intervening role of the military in politics because of its unique position in domestic and external affairs. As a result of the weak civilian institution, the social sectors evolved as weak and dependent, characterized by their dismal performances. Hence, its geo-strategic importance brings short-term fruits and long-term challenges in the evolution of its socio-political sectors.
Understanding the Geo-Strategic Importance of Pakistan
- ✓The Geographic Location of the Country as a Source of Its Strategic Importance
As I discussed, the country’s geographic location is a source of its strategic importance as it provides the ability to form an economic hub for trade and energy transmissions. The following groundbreaking economic projects, namely China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Turkmenistan Afghanistan Pakistan India (TAPI) are the testimonies of this fact. The following map highlights regional connectivity by mutual projects of CPEC and TAPI.
- ✓Economic Advantages, such as China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Turkmenistan Afghanistan Pakistan India (TAPI)
After all, the country’s geo-strategic importance encapsulates its ability to form an economic hub for trade and energy transmissions, providing interconnecting links between Iran, Afghanistan, and India. In addition, it can provide a supply route to Central Asia and India for energy supply. The most glaring example of its geo-strategic importance is the China-Pakistan-Economic-Corridor (CPEC), which extends from Chinese territory Kashgar to Pakistan Gwadar port, providing China access to the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. Next, 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas project supplied from the Caspian Sea region, namely Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI), was agreed at Ashgabat in December 2010. According to the US State Department, the officials termed TAPI’s route as a ‘Stabilizing Corridor’ that would link regional neighbors in economic growth and prosperity. However, TAPI has the potential to provide transit fees of up to $160 million per annum.
- ✓The Role of country’s Geo-Strategic Position in the Regional Stability and Peace
Adding more, the country’s aid in identifying links of terrorist groups within its boundaries and in the region is vital for Britain, Europe, and the United States, not only for the prevention of terrorists but also for the preservation of regional peace and dilution of retrogressive tendencies in South Asia. According to Anatol Lieven, as he described in his book, Pakistan: A New History, Pakistan is far more important to the region than Afghanistan: a statement that is not a matter of sentiments but of mathematics. In addition, being a nuclear state in Asia and having one of the most powerful armies in the world portrays its perceptible strategic importance.
How has the Geo-Strategic Importance of Pakistan Affected the Development of its Social and Political Institutions?
- ✓Weak State and Strong Society
In other words, the geo-strategic position has provided significance on one hand and disadvantage on the other to the country. To understand the impact of its importance on developing political and social institutions, one must know where the state’s strengths and weakness rely. According to Anatol Lieven, as he described in his book Pakistan a Hard Country, a fundamental political fact about Pakistan is that the state, whoever claims to lead it, is weak, and society in its various forms is inevitably strong. The weakness of the state is because of its strong society that develops as a countervailing force against the state’s inclination toward the West for economic and strategic gains. In addition, the exceeding strength of the military as an institution over civilians, obstructs the development of political institutions.
- ✓Role of the Geo-Strategic Importance in Making Alliances with the US, its Impact on Economy and Military
For example, the country’s location has contributed in making it an insecurity state. It shares its borders with arch-rival India, Afghanistan- the insecurity state, Iran-the enemy of Israel, and China- the regional hegemon, which makes it a Garrison State. The fear of encirclement by India and a threat that India might pursue its designs by getting US support had motivated the military to secure the state by taking advantage of its geo-strategic importance. According to Ian Talbot as he aptly said in his book, Pakistan, A New History, Indian attitudes have been colored by the fact that Pakistan is seen as a secessionist state, while in Pakistan, there has been the abiding fear that India will seek to undo the 1947 partition. The country needed military and economic strength to mitigate the threat. So, it became part of the alliance during the Cold War with the superpower in return for financial and military assistance.
- ✓The Cost of Alliances, Military Exceeding Strength over the Civil Political Institutions
First, the country became a part of the West Block during the Cold War. But facilitating the US interests in Afghanistan contributed to the internal insecurity. For example, the constant internal and external insecurity conditions increased the military’s position in state affairs. Eventually, the army’s position reached the point where it had a far-reaching influence on domestic and foreign policy. As a result, the civil political institutions were often affected by their influence in the governance and in the state’s authority. Hence, the intervening role of the military in politics is because of its unique position in domestic and external affairs.
- ✓The Weakened Civil Political Institutions, the Center, and the Provinces
Second, within less than a decade of independence, the country became part of Cold War Alliances within South Asia. In 1954, it became the member of Central Treaty Organization (CENTO). In this way, the strength of the military develops as a dominating political institution, often enjoying over-jurisdiction, surpassing its area of jurisdiction, and interrupting civil political rule. Hence, the internal and external insecurity due to its geo-strategic proximity to contentious neighbors has made the country a Garrison State, where the military influences its domestic and foreign policy. From becoming a part of West Block in the Cold War to facilitating US interests in the region, the military gained its strength and got a domineering position in the governance of the state. The military interrupted the civilian rules to legitimize its political interests by establishing military rule. The country has experienced four prolonged martial laws from 1958-69 by Ayub Khan, 1969-71 by Yahya Khan, 1979-89 by Zia-ul-Haq, and 1999-2006 by General Parvez Musharraf. These rules were highly unrepresentative, so the country became politically unstable. The political instability in the early years of its independence marred the growth of its socio-political institutions. The successive civil governments tried hard to maintain their governance despite improving it by working on social institutions. Both civil and military governments abstained from devolving power because the devolution of power reduced the central authority that might threaten their rule.
- ✓Development of the Judiciary as a Weak and Inefficient Political Institution
In the same way, the strong military presence obstructs the development of the judiciary in an unprecedented way. Despite promoting social justice, the institution in the early years of independence remained busy fixing the civil-military discords. In addition, the judicial overreach has rocked the constitutional ship of the country. So, it emerged as a weak political institution, where its performance is characterized as justice delay, justice denied, and legitimizing martial laws.
Role of Geo-strategic Importance in Affecting the Development of Social Institutions
- ✓Cost Of Alliances and Military Spending, Under-Developed Social Sectors, such as Education and Health
Indeed, the country’s geo-strategic importance affects the development of its social institutions in an unprecedented way. The state has paid a heavy cost for making alliances during the Cold War and due to its supporting role in the War on Terror in 1999 to the US. Indubitably, the state alliances with the US, such as SEATO and CENTO, and its contribution as an ally of the US in the War on Terror in 1999 brought significant economic aid to the country, but the aid was spent on the development of the military, not for the development of social institutions. These alliances brought crisis to home and affected the performance of social institutions. The social sectors, such as health and education, were impacted during the war, jeopardizing their progress and development.
- ✓Response of Society to Increasing External Influence and Growth of Extremism and Radicalization
Next, the refugee’s arrival in the country during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the era of Zia-ul-Haq promoted extremism and radicalization in the Pakistani society. During the Musharraf era, the over-developing foreign influence made the society to act as a countervailing force to the foreign control, and they united under the umbrella of religion against foreign aggression. As a result, religious extremism has taken a stronghold in society. In the name of Jihad, the radicals promoted their anti-state agendas and society has been hit hard by these terrorist tendencies. In these conditions, the state focus has been diverted from developing social institutions to coping with terrorism.
- ✓Distorted Women’s Rights, Role of Strategic Alliances with the Conservative Gulf Countries
Adding more, the alliances or economic agreements with the conservative Gulf countries marred the development of women’s rights. As a result, the participation of women in the workforce also got hit. However, the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) became more dependent on external aid and platforms for its development rather on state that led to weakening of state strength over the civil society.
Conclusion
To conclude, the geo-strategic location of Pakistan has brought both advantages and disadvantages for the country. During the early years of its independence, it had the chance to make alliances with the US for economic and security gains by taking advantage of its geo-strategic position. Similarly, it secured significant financial aid in the 1980s during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. In addition, its geographic location has made it possible for the state to become an ally of the US in the War on Terror against terrorism in 1999. As a result, the foreign aid flows brought the economy on a steady path. The game-changer project for the faltering economy, namely the China-Pakistan-Economic-Corridor (CPEC), is a glaring example of the significance of geography. Hence, it can affect regional stability, progress, development, and the geo-politics. However, its geo-strategic importance has brought pros and cons for the social and political institutions. For example, the military has been over-developed because of its surged role in the state. However, the government’s over-dependency on the military for sustainable security has made civil institutions weak. The social institutions developed by securing foreign aid but also paid the cost of this aid in many ways.
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