Author : Wahid Ahmad
why everyone wants Kashmir and what does it make so special Kashmir is a great source of freshwater and freshwater is available in form of glacier spread across thousands of miles in this region millions of people in India and Pakistan rely on freshwater flowing through the region in fact Pakistan heavily relies on Indus river flowing from India’s Kashmiri region the Indus River historically played a major role in forming communities and civilization one of the greatest the Harappan civilization also known as Indus Valley Civilization flourished in the patience of Indus even today the Indus River plays an important role in Pakistan’s establishment because Pakistan’s main occupation is agriculture which is also the backbone of Pakistan’s economy mostly relies on water coming from the Kashmir region so it can be said Pakistan’s existence is based on Indus river system Indus is not just a single river that flows from India’s Kashmir region to Pakistan there are many other tributaries that join the Indus ahead to create a washed water network in Pakistan out of this tributaries five major tributaries of the Indus River flows from India Jehlum and Chinab are the notable major tributaries these two rivers originate from India’s Kashmir region and the other three major tributaries Ravi, Bayas and Satalaj flows through India’s Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to Pakistan and from these three tributaries Ravi and Bayas originates from India’s Himachal Pradesh while Satalaj originates from Tibet this means four out of five major tributaries of Indus originates in India water flowing through Kashmir not only supports millions of lives it also provides opportunity to produce electricity by constructing hydro power station in 1960 India and Pakistan signed the in this water treaty brokered by the World Bank the agreement gave India control over Bayas Ravi and Satlaj rivers and Pakistan control over Indus Chinab and Jehlum and because the rivers flowed through India. India was given a special provision for Hydroelectric development.
Kashmir is its geostrategic location Kashmir serves as a gateway to the outside world this landlocked region borders multiple provinces and states
Xinjiang to the north Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the West Punjab and Himachal to the South and Tibet to the east in the present times China and Pakistan both have border disputes with India and through Kashmir Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and China’s Xinjiang region can easily connect each other now over here Pakistan occupied Kashmir is more beneficial to China than to Pakistan itself and there are many reason to say this through Karakoram Highway in Gilgit Balochistan Pakistan China can easily connect Kashgar in Xinjiang with Govadhar in Balochistan Govadhar port will further serve China as a gateway to the Middle East right now China imports most of its oil from the Middle East through Malacca Street india’s Andaman and Nicobar Island strategically located near Malacca street india’s relation with China has been rough since past few years due to ongoing border disputes and to counter China’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean region india maintains a strong military presence in the Andaman and Nicobar Island which could easily sabotage Chinese ships passing through the street china therefore looks govdhar as an alternative to Malacca govdhar will not only provide safe passage but also reduce travel distance therefore China has made huge investment in road and railway in Pakistan occupied Kashmir as a part of China Pakistan corridor project huge Chinese investment will not only help China to boost its economy but it will also bring safety and security to Pakistani establishment in the Kashmir region against deployment of Indian forces in large numbers near the line of control because any advancement by the Indian forces in the Pakistani occupied region will jeopardize Chinese investment and to safeguard its interest china may involve with Pakistan against Indian forces Aksai Chin which is also claimed by India as a eastern part of Ladakh is significant to China because it connects Xinjiang and Tibetan region with China’s only national highway NS 219 running through the region if India regained control over this territory it will be difficult for China to mobilize its forces between these two region in case of war or to suppress any kind of separatism in Muslim dominated Xinjiang or uprising in Tibet on the other side Pakistani occupied Kashmir is strategically very important for India because it not only cuts all lines between China and Pakistan but also provides India passage to the Wakhan corridor the corridor is a narrow strip of land in Afghanistan extending from Gilgit Balochistan and separating Tajikistan and Pakistan the Wakhan corridor historically was created as a buffer zone during the great game in order to prevent Russian and British empires from expanding too much into each other’s territory china already have access to Wakhan corridor through its southern part of Xinjiang region right now Iran’s Chabahar port provides India and alternative route to Afghanistan if Pakistani occupied Kashmir comes under India’s control then the Wakhan border will provide India passes to Afghanistan which will further serve as a gateway to the Central Asia.
Kashmir like Jammu and Kashmir Ladakh and Siachen Glacier have their own significance Kashmir region serves as a buffer zone for India against the Pakistan and China high mountain range act as a first line of defense and provides security to planes of Himachal Punjab and New Delhi it’s located in Karakoram Range in Himalayas is the world’s highest battlefield and prevents China and Pakistan from making military linkage which could be a major threat to India’s northern areas Siachen not only avoids military linkage it also serves as a watchtower for India through high altitude areas india can keep eye on Gilgit Balochistain region and Chinese activities happening in Shakskum Valley which was ceded by Pakistan to China in 1963 india launched Operation Make dut in 1984 and captured Siachen on day before Pakistan could launch Operation Abba bill.
Minerals are another source in the region Apart from freshwater Kashmir is highly rich in natural resources areas like Gilgit Balochistan is rich in minerals like gold gypsum calcopyrite uranium and precious gems like topaz and aquamarine Chinese mining companies with Pakistani miners are working to extract this untapped resources while on other side Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have reserves of coal marble graphite limestone and gypsum
Kashmir is endowed with lots of scenic beauty lush green valleys lakes Sky High Peaks Glacier waterfalls and number of pilgrim sites to attract millions of tourists across the world the region has huge potential for tourism no doubt Kashmir is a beautiful region but at the same time it is also regarded as an extremely dangerous area in the world due to ongoing border disputes between India Pakistan and China and extremist fundamentalist groups flourishing in the region because of all these reasons tourism in Kashmir is not up to as it should have been if disputes are settled peace returns to the valley and everything turns normal tourism could become a huge Industry in Kashmir just like Switzerland witnessing in the Alps.
Kashmir is a vast store of fresh water with thousands of square miles of glaciers. The region’s freshwater that runs through it is the life line for millions in India and Pakistan. Historically, Indus river has served as a basis for social and cultural formation including Harappan civilization.
Kashmir’s geostrategic location lets it have multiple provinces and states making it a gateway to the outside world. China disputes its border with India over Kashmir, which makes it easy to link the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan with China’s Xinjiang region through this area. For this reason, Karakoram Highway plays an essential role connecting China's Xinjiang region to Pakistan's Gilgit-Balochistan.
China has undertaken massive road and rail construction projects in occupied Kashmir under CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) project as its prime mover. In terms of military might Kashmir is a touchy area where strong forces are maintained by India, Pakistan, and China. So, Siachen Glacier acts as an obstacle or natural barrier that prevents linkage between Chinese and Pakistani armies.
Kashmir’s treasures include natural resources like gold, gypsums, calcopyrite ore, uranium etc; gemstones such as topaz and aquamarine from there are considered precious ones. To extract these minerals together Chinese mining firms have collaborated with Pakistani miners.