Pakistan's Strategic Imperatives and Maritime Security Challenges in the Indian Ocean
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58932/MULG0022Keywords:
Sea Lines of Communication, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Superpower Competition, Regional SecurityAbstract
Sea Lines of Communications, or SLOCs, have become an epicenter of strategic dispositions and partnerships in Southeast Asia. This research focuses on superpower influence in the region and how it ranges from securing islands within the Indian and Pacific Oceans to securitizing nontraditional elements of national power such as semiconductors and political alignments. This research also measures the impact of these measures and how they have indicated a change in basic assumptions in littoral states in the region like Pakistan, India, and China. The research analyses the strategies of these states towards their maritime relevance and interests in the region. Economic posturing and military modernization drive are supplemented by strategies specifically designed to address maritime vulnerabilities and opportunities in SLOCs. India’s Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) strategy, coupled with its naval deployments in the islands of the Indian Ocean, is one example. China-Pakistan-India submarine modernization initiatives and Indo-US Quadrilateral Security Commitments are some of the key elements this research scrutinizes. The research suggests that due to new strategies and the role of extra-regional players, Pakistan’s position in the region requires a deeper and thorough reassessment of its naval strategies beyond the traditional lens. It also recommends seeking a bigger, more pronounced role in SLOC politics of the Indian Ocean and even considering developing contingencies to prevent a spillover of strategic competition from the Pacific Ocean contenders.
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