In the aftermath of its withdrawal from Afghanistan, the United States faces a strategic challenge: how to maintain influence, facilitate trade and secure economic opportunities in Central Asia and Afghanistan without the extensive military presence that once guaranteed direct access. The answer lies in geography, infrastructure and partnerships. Pakistan offers all three in a way no other country in the region can match.
Situated at the intersection of South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East, Pakistan occupies a unique geographical position. The landlocked Central Asian Republics and Afghanistan, require dependable connections to global markets. Iran’s transit potential is restricted by international sanctions and diplomatic friction and the northern routes through Russia and the Caucasus are increasingly unstable. That leaves Pakistan as the only practical and secure overland link from the Arabian Sea to Central Asia’s economic heartland. From the ports of Gwadar and Port Qasim to the mountain passes of Khyber and Khunjerab, the country’s transport corridors offer the shortest, most direct routes for goods, energy and humanitarian assistance.
It’s not just geography. Pakistan has invested heavily in infrastructure to translate its location into real economic opportunity. The $482.75 million Khyber Pass Economic Corridor, co-funded by the government and the World Bank, is a flagship project designed to link Peshawar to the Torkham border with Afghanistan, connecting seamlessly to the CAREC 5 and 6 transport corridors that lead into Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. By reducing travel times and improving road quality, the project is expected to create more than 100,000 jobs and attract investment in supporting industries such as warehousing, customs clearance and logistics technology. For US firms with expertise in supply chain management, digital trade systems and cargo security, such corridors are platforms for commercial engagement.
Pakistan’s maritime gateways are equally important. Gwadar, a deep-water port on the Arabian Sea, offers proximity to the Gulf and the capacity to handle large-scale cargo. Port Qasim, near Karachi, is already integrated into global shipping networks and connects those to inland transport systems. Together, they provide flexible access points for exports, energy supplies and humanitarian shipments into Afghanistan and beyond. By using Pakistani ports and overland routes, the United States can bypass politically sensitive lanes and reduce dependence on any single country for regional access.
Both China and Russia have been expanding their influence in Central Asia. China is using its Belt and Road Initiative to strengthen its hold over regional infrastructure. Russia is maintaining security and energy alliances that go back decades to the Cold War era. US investment in Pakistan’s role as a connectivity hub can offer Central Asian states an alternative partner, allowing them to diversify their relationships. This can create space for the United States to reassert itself as a stabilising force in Eurasia.
Commercial opportunities extend well beyond road construction. Pakistan’s growing role as a transit economy will require modern customs systems, cold chain facilities for agricultural exports, dry ports for inland cargo handling and advanced tracking systems for security and efficiency. These are sectors where American technology and business models excel. The country’s proximity to mineral-rich regions—both in Balochistan and across the border in Afghanistan—offers potential for responsible mining ventures, processing plants and export services.
Energy connectivity is another dimension. Projects such as CASA-1000, which would transmit surplus hydropower from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the TAPI gas pipeline linking Turkmenistan to South Asia, are designed with Pakistan as the central conduit. US participation in these initiatives can not only increase its economic influence in Central Asia but also promote diversified energy routes that reduce the region’s reliance on Russia or China. Completing such projects can mark a shift from security-based engagement to economic partnership, aligning with Washington’s long-term strategy of sustaining influence through trade and infrastructure rather than military presence.
This transition from viewing Pakistan solely as a security ally to recognising it as a connectivity partner is critical. For decades, US-Pakistan relations have been dominated by counterterrorism cooperation and military logistics. While those elements remain important, a new chapter based on economic integration offers greater stability and mutual benefits. Economic corridors foster interdependence, making peace more attractive than conflict for all stakeholders. As Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Central Asian Republics come together for joint commercial ventures, the incentives for stability grow stronger.
Pakistan’s ports and transport networks also serve as lifelines for delivering food, medicine and emergency relief to Afghanistan and other vulnerable areas. Maintaining reliable humanitarian access is not only a moral imperative but also a means of sustained goodwill and soft power in regions where US influence is otherwise limited.
Pakistan’s domestic potential adds another layer to its appeal. Despite economic challenges, the country has a large, youthful population, significant English proficiency and a growing digital sector. These characteristics make it a fertile environment for partnerships in education, vocational training, technology services and renewable energy. US investment in these areas can result in rich returns.
Pakistan faces political volatility, security challenges and fiscal constraints. Yet these challenges are not insurmountable. Well-structured public–private partnerships, incremental investment tied to project milestones and targeted capacity-building initiatives can mitigate risk while delivering tangible results. The greater danger for the United States is inaction, thereby ceding the field to its rivals who will then shape the region’s economic future without American participation.
Pakistan is more than a convenient route; it is the most viable and strategically aligned gateway for US engagement with Central Asia and Afghanistan. It offers unmatched access, infrastructure compatibility and potential as a connectivity hub. By investing in Pakistan’s role, the United States can secure dependable access to new markets, counterbalance rival powers, and promote stability through trade and economic integration. In doing so, it can maintain influence in Eurasia without the costs and risks of large-scale military involvement.
The corridor of opportunity is open. Whether Washington chooses to walk through it will determine not only the future of US-Pakistan relations, but also America’s role in shaping the economic and strategic landscape of Central Asia for years to come.
The author works for The News, reporting on militancy and security issues. He can be contacted at sherali9984gmail.com