New Delhi: In a move that’s rattling India’s regional calculus, Pakistan has dangled access to its crown jewel, Karachi Port, before Bangladesh, offering a lifeline amid frosty ties between New Delhi and Dhaka post-Sheikh Hasina’s ouster.
The sweetener emerged at the 9th Pakistan-Bangladesh Joint Economic Commission (JEC) in Dhaka — after a 20-year hiatus — co-chaired by Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister Ali Pervez Malik and Bangladesh Finance Advisor Salehuddin Ahmad.
Islamabad pitches it as a gateway for Dhaka to tap markets in China, the Gulf, and Central Asia directly, bypassing Indian territory.
Why India’s hackles are up
Strains peaked when interim chief Muhammad Yunus gifted a Pakistani general a controversial map merging Assam and parts of India’s Northeast with Bangladesh.
Analysts see a dual threat — economic, as it sidesteps India’s April 2025 transit curbs on Bangladeshi goods, and political, eroding New Delhi’s sway.
Post-1971 thaw accelerates
Pakistan FM Ishaq Dar’s August Dhaka visit lifted visa curbs for officials. With Hasina’s pro-India regime gone, Yunus’s interim setup eyes fresh alliances.
“Strategic masterstroke or economic bait?” experts ask. For India, this port pact presents a significant challenge — could it potentially reshape South Asia’s trade landscape?