UPSC CSE Prelims
India and West Asia Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 3 — India will not depend on Pakistan for access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.

The development of Chabahar Port in Iran is strategically significant for India as it provides an alternative sea-land transit route to Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan entirely. Pakistan has historically restricted India's overland access to these regions, making Chabahar a critical gateway. Through the 2016 trilateral transit agreement between India, Iran, and Afghanistan, goods can be shipped to Chabahar and transported via road (Zaranj-Delaram highway) and rail networks into Afghanistan and beyond, ensuring India's connectivity independent of Pakistani territory.

❌ Option 1 – Incorrect: While Chabahar may facilitate some African trade, its primary strategic importance is connectivity to Afghanistan and Central Asia, not Africa.

❌ Option 2 – Incorrect: The port's development is not primarily aimed at strengthening relations with oil-producing Arab countries, but rather at gaining access to landlocked regions.

❌ Option 4 – Incorrect: Pakistan is unlikely to facilitate or protect any gas pipeline from Iraq to India; Chabahar's purpose is to bypass Pakistan, not depend on it.