Abstract :
Abstract The topic highlights the competition between two rival ports, e.g., Gwadar and Chabahar. States interact with each other to maximize their benefits by minimizing complexities in any way. To achieve this, the best way to become dominant in the contemporary era is to gain economic prosperity. Therefore, achieving economic sufficiency enables a nation to exert greater political influence, given the interdependence of economics and politics. Keeping these aspects in mind, Gwadar and Chabahar are two prominent ports in terms of strategic competition. Pakistan owns the Gwadar Port. Oman sold it to Pakistan in 1958. Since then, Gwadar has attracted China in a variety of ways. China is in a race to become the number one economic power in the world. For this purpose, she has initiated many policies or projects to prosper in economic terms. In this regard, China started the One Belt, One Road initiative. The China-Pakistan economic corridor is its flagship project. China has taken the Gwadar port on lease, and it will invest heavily in its development. Furthermore, China had previously used the Malacca Strait for trading purposes. Thus, ties between Afghanistan and India will become better. The goal of this study is to determine the opportunities Pakistan will have in both of these ports. It will also highlight the challenges associated with Pakistan's port development. As a result, increased Indian involvement will deteriorate relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Similarly, there is a need to rethink the relationship between Pakistan and Iran. This research adopts Neo-realism as its theoretical framework, focusing on two key factors: national interest and balance of power, both externally and internally.
Keyword :
Keywords: Gwader, Chahbahar, Malacca strait, China-Pakistan, Iran