ABSTRACT
The political and security environment in South Asia has always maintained strong linkages with the countries of the Arabian Gulf. Pakistan and its historic rivalry with India and the Gulf’s security concern vis-à-vis Iran have remained critical in shaping the inter-regional political engagement. Pakistan’s Muslim identity and its religious bond with the Gulf kingdoms has additionally also remained an important variable in this relationship, and Pakistani expatriates have contributed toward nation building and economic development of Gulf states. From the Gulf perspective, Pakistan has contributed substantially toward the Gulf’s security infrastructure and institutions by virtue of personal and institutional links developed between the civil and military elites of the two sides. As the world transitions from a unipolar international system to a multipolar one, this relationship is also undergoing significant recalibration with Gulf states enhancing their strategic engagement with China and India. This development has reduced Pakistan’s strategic relevance for Gulf states. However, as Pakistan remains a key theater of China’s Belt and Road Initiative and geographically indispensable for any future Chinese security designs in the broader Western Indian Ocean region, it will continue to shape the inter-regional security environment of the broader Middle East and South Asia.
