Pakistan’s only eastern neighbor is India whereas; its western neighbors are Afghanistan and Iran. All the eastern and western borders of Pakistan are frozen because of lack of trade, commercial and travel connectivity. Only a small strip of Pakistan's northern border with China is open and that too with severe travel restrictions. With no trade with India, Afghanistan and Iran, Pakistan is a unique state because almost all its neighbors are with closed borders particularly for trade and travel purposes.

Can a state regionally isolate itself and expect to have a vibrant economy, travel and tourism? Frozen border with India is a reality since last several years and there is no direct trade and travel connectivity. Pakistan closed its border with Afghanistan and Iran which caused serious economic losses particularly in areas close to the border of the two countries. In a situation when 250 million people of Pakistan are holed up with frozen eastern and western borders, at stake is trade potential amounting to billions of dollars. There may be reasons for Pakistan to freeze its borders with India, Afghanistan and Iran, but how can a state survive in isolation particularly when its economic predicament, political instability, crisis in governance and absence of rule of law tend to add to its fragility.

Relations with India reached its lowest ebb when on August 5, 2019 New Delhi revoked the autonomous status of Jammu & Kashmir which was somewhat guaranteed under article 370 and 35-A of the Indian constitution. Since then trade, travel and all sorts of direct connectivity between India and Pakistan has ceased to exist. There is 10 billion dollars of trade potential between India and Pakistan which is advantageous to both the neighboring countries. But, unfortunately standoff between India and Pakistan continues and there is no indication for the resumption of normalization of ties and resumption of peace process. What Pakistan can do to mend fences with India by agreeing to the........

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