Editing Geography of Pakistan (section)

== Regional classification ==
{{See also|South Asia#Northwestern boundary (Afghanistan and Pakistan)}}
The classification of [[Pakistan]] as a [[Northwestern South Asia|South Asian]] country remains a subject of debate and controversy due to its historical, geographical, ethnic, and cultural ties to [[Central Asia]] and the [[Middle East]], in addition to its connections to South Asia.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Jalal |first=Syed Umair |date=2023-11-19 |title=Pakistan's Geostrategic Importance in Regional Stability and Global Politics |url=https://stratheia.com/pakistans-geostrategic-importance-in-regional-stability-and-global-politics/?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=2025-01-13 |website=Stratheia |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite journal |last=Zaidi |first=S. Akbar |date=2009 |title=South Asia? West Asia? Pakistan: Location, Identity |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40278776 |journal=Economic and Political Weekly |volume=44 |issue=10 |pages=36–39 |issn=0012-9976 |jstor=40278776}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |title=Pakistan and the Middle East {{!}} Encyclopedia.com |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/pakistan-and-middle-east |access-date=2025-01-13 |website=www.encyclopedia.com}}</ref><ref name=":9">{{Cite journal |last=Khetran |first=Mir Sherbaz |date=2016 |title=Economic Connectivity: Pakistan, China, West Asia and Central Asia |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/48535974 |journal=Strategic Studies |volume=36 |issue=4 |pages=61–76 |issn=1029-0990 |jstor=48535974}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{Cite web |title=Pakistan's Policy Towards Central Asia: An Evaluation Since 1991 |url=https://asc-centralasia.edu.pk/old_site/Issue_65/06_Pakistan_Policy_Towards_Central_Asia.html |access-date=2025-01-13 |website=asc-centralasia.edu.pk}}</ref><ref name=":11">{{Cite web |title=The Complex Geopolitical Fabric Of Pakistan, Iran, And Afghanistan: A Tripartite Nexus In Asia {{!}} ShunCulture |url=https://shunculture.com/article/are-pakistan-iran-and-afghanistan-asia |access-date=2025-01-13 |website=shunculture.com}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=Admin |date=2020-05-05 |title=Cultural Integration and Regional Trade Prospects: A Case Study of Pakistan and Central Asia |url=https://pakistanintheworld.pk/live/cultural-integration-and-regional-trade-prospects-a-case-study-of-pakistan-and-central-asia/ |access-date=2025-01-13 |language=en-US}}</ref> Many in Pakistan consider their country to be an amalgamation of [[North Indian culture|South Asian]], [[Turco-Persian tradition|Central Asian]], and [[Greater Iran|Middle Eastern]] cultures, and view their strict classification as solely South Asian as a denial of their Central Asian and Middle Eastern heritage. Moreover, such rigid classifications are often perceived as sources of ethnic tensions between communities.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-14 |title=Afghanistan's Necessary Shift in Ethnic Narratives: From Dominance to Dialogue {{!}} Wilson Center |url=https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/afghanistans-necessary-shift-ethnic-narratives-dominance-dialogue |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=www.wilsoncenter.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Irgengioro |first=John |date=2018-12-01 |title=China's National Identity and the Root Causes of China's Ethnic Tensions |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12140-018-9297-2 |journal=East Asia |language=en |volume=35 |issue=4 |pages=317–346 |doi=10.1007/s12140-018-9297-2 |issn=1874-6284}}</ref><ref name=":13">{{Cite journal |last=S. Khan |first=Maryam |date=2024-04-01 |title=Ethnic Federalism in Pakistan: Federal Design, Construction of Ethno-Linguistic Identity, and Group Conflict |url=https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Maryam-Khan-4 |journal=SSRN Electronic Journal}}</ref><ref name=":14">{{Cite web |title=Federal Solutions to Ethnic Problems: Accommodating Diversity |url=https://www.routledge.com/Federal-Solutions-to-Ethnic-Problems-Accommodating-Diversity/Anderson/p/book/9781138108554?srsltid=AfmBOoqjdpSTN0qQaQ1FcBa_tSYD0ZCjtKX5wPICqbUsAS9YL5nsnt1f |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=Routledge & CRC Press |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Adeney |first=K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TgJfCwAAQBAJ |title=Federalism and Ethnic Conflict Regulation in India and Pakistan |date=2016-01-12 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-0-230-60194-9 |language=en}}</ref>

A notable example of this dynamic is the designation of [[Urdu]] as Pakistan's official language.<ref name=":15">{{Cite web |title=Language Log: Language in Pakistan |url=https://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/005262.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240723121835/http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/005262.html |archive-date=23 July 2024 |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=itre.cis.upenn.edu |url-status=live }}</ref> Urdu was the native language of the [[Muhajir culture|Muhajirs]], a community that migrated from India to Pakistan after the [[1947 Partition of India|1947 Partition]] and today constitutes approximately 7-9% of the country's population.<ref name=":15" /><ref name=":13" /> By choosing Urdu as the official language, the government reinforced Pakistan's connection to Indian linguistic traditions, leading to grievances among other ethnic groups who felt that their languages and cultural heritage were sidelined.<ref name=":16">{{Cite book |last1=Brown |first1=Michael Edward |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fcoDezu1ABoC |title=Fighting Words: Language Policy and Ethnic Relations in Asia |last2=Ganguly |first2=Sumit |date=2003 |publisher=MIT Press |isbn=978-0-262-52333-2 |language=en}}</ref> Over time, this linguistic dominance became a source of ethnic tensions, with some communities perceiving [[Muhajir culture|Muhajirs]] as disproportionately shaping Pakistan's national identity, while Muhajirs themselves have faced discrimination and violence due to these perceptions.<ref name=":15" /><ref name=":16" /> To address such ethnic tensions, many advocate for a more inclusive characterization of Pakistan's identity—one that equally respects and integrates the diverse cultures of Pakistan's various ethnic groups.<ref name=":14" />

Beyond cultural and ethnic factors, Pakistan also shares geographical connections with multiple regions, including the [[Himalayas]] in the north, the [[Iranian plateau|Iranian Plateau]] in the west, the [[Thar Desert of Sindh|Thar Desert]] in the east, and a coastline along the [[Arabian Sea]] in the south.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hays |first=Jeffrey |title=LAND AND GEOGRAPHY OF PAKISTAN: BIG MOUNTAINS, GLACIERS AND DISPUTED TERRITORY {{!}} Facts and Details |url=https://factsanddetails.com/south-asia/Pakistan/Nature_Environment_Animals/entry-8145.html |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=factsanddetails.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Pakistan geography, maps, climate, environment and terrain from Pakistan {{!}} - CountryReports |url=https://www.countryreports.org/country/Pakistan/geography.htm |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=www.countryreports.org}}</ref> These connections create natural geographical ties with neighboring countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, the [[Arab states of the Persian Gulf]], and India.

Pakistan also shares historical connections to Central Asia and the Middle East. It has been included in multiple Central Asian and Middle Eastern cultural and imperial spheres, such as the [[Achaemenid Empire|Persian Empire]], [[Caliphate|Arab Caliphates]], [[Durrani Empire]], and various [[Ghaznavids|Turko-Persian Dynasties]]. It is also a [[Muslim world|Muslim-majority state]], similar to the nations of Central Asia and the Middle East (with the exception of [[Israel]]). It is part of the [[Greater Middle East]]—a geopolitical term introduced during the [[George W. Bush]] administration—encompassing not only the [[Middle East|core Middle Eastern states]] but also regions with historical, cultural, geopolitical, and geographical links to the Middle East, such as [[Morocco]], [[Libya]], [[Algeria]], Pakistan, and Afghanistan.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Perthes |first=Volker |title=America's 'Greater Middle East' and Europe |url=https://www.swp-berlin.org/en/publication/transatlantic-dialogue-on-americas-greater-middle-east |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) |language=en}}</ref> Additionally, it belongs to the socio-cultural sphere of [[Greater Iran]] as well as [[Greater Central Asia]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Menon |first=Rajan |date=2003-01-01 |title=The New Great Game in Central Asia |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00396338.2003.9688581 |journal=Survival: Global Politics and Strategy |volume=45 |issue=2 |doi=10.1080/00396338.2003.9688581 |issn=0039-6338 |via=Taylor & Francis}}</ref> further underscoring its historical and civilizational connections to Persianate traditions of Central Asia and the Middle East. Recognizing these historical and cultural connections, [[UNESCO]] in 1978 defined Central Asia to include both Afghanistan and Pakistan.<ref>{{Cite web |title=UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity |url=https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000148165 |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=unesdoc.unesco.org}}</ref>

Further to the effect of Pakistan having connections to Central Asia and the Middle East is its membership in organizations that represent these regions. For example, it is a member of [[Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program|Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program]], and the [[Economic Cooperation Organization]] (ECO), which includes Iran, [[Turkey]], Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Central Asian republics. Additionally, Pakistan has a free trade agreement with the [[Gulf Cooperation Council]] (GCC) countries,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-29 |title=Pakistan and Gulf Cooperation Council sign 'preliminary' free trade agreement |url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/2382501/pakistan |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=Arab News |language=en}}</ref> with which it shares naval borders, and it is an active participant in the [[Shanghai Cooperation Organisation]] (SCO), a group that includes Iran and four of the five Central Asian republics.

Recently, the classification of Pakistan and Afghanistan within South Asia has come under additional scrutiny due to the rise of [[Hindu nationalism|Hindu nationalist]] movements in India<ref>{{Cite web |last=Anil |first=Pratinav |date=2024-08-09 |title=The New India by Rahul Bhatia review — how Hindu nationalism is eating India |url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/books/article/new-india-unmaking-worlds-largest-democracy-rahul-bhatia-book-review-fshtrnd59?utm_source=chatgpt.com&region=global |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=www.thetimes.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Reader |first=The MIT Press |date=2022-02-28 |title=The Rise of Hindu Nationalism |url=https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/the-rise-of-hindu-nationalism/ |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=The MIT Press Reader |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Anand |first1=Kusha |last2=Lall |first2=Marie |date=2022-01-01 |title=The debate between secularism and Hindu nationalism – how India's textbooks have become the government's medium for political communication |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14736489.2021.2018203 |journal=India Review |volume=21 |pages=77–107 |doi=10.1080/14736489.2021.2018203 |issn=1473-6489}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-05 |title=Modi loses ground in parliament, but his Hindu nationalist policies are here to stay |url=https://apnews.com/article/india-modi-hindu-nationalist-policies-433558be67e00c125805167cf1d82817 |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref> that promote the idea of [[Akhand Bharat]]—a vision advocating for the annexation of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other neighboring regions into India.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-28 |title=Akhand Bharat and India's Civilizational Claims in South Asia |url=https://casi.sas.upenn.edu/iit/udayandas |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=Center for the Advanced Study of India (CASI) |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-06-08 |title=Akhand Bharat Idea, a Menace to India and Neighbourhood {{!}} NewsClick |url=https://www.newsclick.in/akhand-bharat-idea-menace-india-and-neighbourhood |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231004131523/https://www.newsclick.in/akhand-bharat-idea-menace-india-and-neighbourhood |archive-date=4 October 2023 |access-date=2025-01-14 |work=NewsClick |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dash |first=Nivedita |date=2023-09-07 |title=What is 'Akhand Bharat' and which countries are part of it? Know its significance and origin |url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/explainers/what-is-akhand-bharat-and-which-countries-are-part-of-it-know-its-significance-and-origin-2023-09-07-891249 |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=www.indiatvnews.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Midha |first=Nachiket |date=2023-05-02 |title="From Attock to Cuttack and from Kashmir to Kanyakumari:" Understanding Akhand Bharat in terms of Ontological Security |url=https://journals.library.columbia.edu/index.php/cja/article/view/11113 |journal=The Columbia Journal of Asia |language=en |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=15–24 |doi=10.52214/cja.v2i1.11113 |issn=2832-8558 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Pakistanis and Afghans argue that an exclusive classification of their countries as South Asian could be misinterpreted as an implicit validation of such [[Expansionism|expansionist ideologies]], threatening the national and cultural identity of their homelands. As a result, they contend that Pakistan and Afghanistan's connections to Central Asia and the Middle East must be acknowledged and emphasized to counter any expansionist narratives that challenge the countries' sovereignty.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}