Key Points:

• The success of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is predicated on Pakistan’s territorial security, and the strategic waterways linking the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.
• Geostrategic success of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is directly proportional to the geo-economic success of CPEC.
• Pakistan’s primary area of maritime interest, however, is limited within the North Arabian Sea. In the context of BRI, this myopia can be termed as “geostrategic timidity”, while with reference to India, it is a “strategic faux pas”.