A Look at the countries that border Pakistan and the relations they share with each other and with Pakistan. In this article, you’ll find information about neighboring countries of Pakistan like India, Afghanistan, China, Iran, etc.
These countries have been divided into sections based on their distance from Pakistan, i.e., the nearest neighbor of Pakistan or the farthest.
You’ll also learn about how Pakistan formed its relationship with these countries. As well as, what they do to strengthen those ties today, and whether the relationship has ever been strained or tested.
Neighboring countries of Pakistan
Since its formation in 1947, Pakistan has had relations with all its neighboring countries. Some of them have remained friendly with Pakistan; however, some are hostile towards Pakistan because of many reasons, like Kashmir Issue or the War On Terror. We discussed all such countries below.
The top 10 neighboring countries of Pakistan are:
- Afghanistan
- China
- India
- Iran
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Russia
- Tajikistan
- Turkmenistan
- Sri Lanka
The above one is the Pakistan neighboring countries map. You can clearly see details in it.
Geographic details/Borders
Pakistan is bordered by Afghanistan to its north-west (1,638 km border), Iran to its south-west, India to its east and south-east (3,323 km border), China to its northeast (440 km border), and Iran to its west (923 km border).
The total length of Pakistan’s land borders is 7,427 km. Border with Afghanistan: Starting from Mazar-i-Sharif in the northwest, along a line following the Turkestan Range until Kapisa Province. It then follows an irregular line running roughly from southwest to northeast until it meets Pakistan’s eastern border with India at a point on the Indian Ocean.
It covers a distance of 1,638 km (994 mi). Border with India: Starting at a zero point on Indira Col on the Sino-Pakistani Line of Control.
Pakistan shares land borders with five countries: Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, and Nepal. With a coastline along the Arabian Sea in South Asia, it has been an important region of trade since prehistory.
Historic relations
Pakistan has a rocky relationship with its neighbors. It was one of three countries that emerged from British India in 1947—the others being India and Bangladesh (then East Pakistan). India and Afghanistan separate Pakistan’s northern borders to its west.
The border with Iran is located to its east; Pakistan also borders China to its northeast. Also, it shares borders with six countries: China, Iran, India, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan. Furthermore, Pakistan has tense relations with two of these nations: Afghanistan and India.
Pakistan is a Sunni Muslim country, while Afghanistan is mostly Shia Muslim. Pakistan and India have fought several wars over Kashmir, which both claim as their own territory. There have been several attempts at peace between these two nations, but conflict continues to rage on through proxy wars in Kashmir and other areas along their shared border.
Current relations
Pakistan’s relations with neighboring countries have fluctuated. Pakistan maintains strong bilateral relations with Afghanistan and China, while its ties with India are strained because of disputes over Kashmir.
Pakistan has tense relations with Iran because of sectarian tensions. Similarly, its relationship with Saudi Arabia is often volatile because of clashes of religion; because of these issues, Pakistan has been called an unfriendly state for its tepid response toward terrorists operating within its border.
According to Ex-CIA analyst Bruce Riedel, Pakistan remains central to American strategy in South Asia since it will be a major player in whether Afghanistan becomes a stabilizing force or a haven for terrorists. Pakistan was also one of only three countries to recognize Bangladesh when it was formed in 1971.
Pakistan continues to have close relations with Bhutan and Nepal, having played a key role in helping both nations gain their independence from British rule. The country also maintains close relations with Sri Lanka and Maldives despite differences on religious grounds.
Pakistan’s foreign policy initially focused on neutrality between Cold War powers but tilted towards America after Pakistan became a recipient of US military aid during the Soviet-Afghan War in 1979.
Future policies
If all goes according to plan, Pakistan will reap several benefits from these neighboring countries. In time to come, Pakistan will benefit from trade agreements with Turkey, which would help improve its commerce with a growing economy. Likewise, Pakistan’s historically tense relations with Iran could gradually improve in time following a thaw in ties between Tehran and Washington.
This would pave the way for the development of stronger trade links between both countries. Pakistan also has strong links with China in terms of security cooperation and trade. Beijing’s One Belt One Road initiative is likely to create job opportunities for thousands of young people living in Pakistan’s north-western provinces along the CPEC route and in other parts of the country, too.
Final Wordings
In the end, Pakistan has strong ties with neighboring countries like China, Iran, and Afghanistan. Although it doesn’t have the best relations with all of them like India, it’s better than in previous decades when the situation was worst.
With peace restoration ongoing in Afghanistan, there is hope for these neighboring countries to live together as neighbors who respect each other for everyone’s sacrifices for living peacefully under a common flag.
This was all about neighbors of Pakistan and Pakistan relation with neighboring countries. Hope you would find this article informative.
