Corridor game: dragon’s road elephant’s opposition China–Pakistan economic corridor, India, and multipolar aspects

The escalating geopolitical shifts of South Asia and contemporary Middle East crises have intensified strategic competition surrounding regional connectivity projects. Instability of maritime routes and overreliance on limited import–export have generated uncertainty and economic vulnerabilities in the region. Within this multipolarity situation, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has developed a pivotal connectivity corridor influencing regional alignments and a significant checkpoint as a flagship component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This research investigates the relevance of the CPEC, domestic challenges, security crises, connectivity politics, and competing interests of China, Pakistan, India, Iran, and Afghanistan. This study employs a qualitative desk-based research method to examine the interest narratives in reshaping interprovincial identities within the Federation of Pakistan through thematic analysis guided by constructivist theory. The findings of the study suggest that the corridor project extends beyond economic integration and plays a crucial role as a geostrategic instrument, reshaping regional power politics and maritime interest discourses. This development highlights the enduring geopolitical and economic importance of Pakistan, demonstrating that a decade after the corridor’s initiation, its relevance remains firmly intact within regional connectivity dynamics. Moreover, domestic instability in Pakistan and political imbalance underpin the complex interaction between state-led initiatives, the opposition’s role, and the socio-political responses of citizens. The results suggest that the success of the mega-connectivity project depends upon governance legitimacy, inclusive local participation, and the construction of political trust among interprovincial stakeholders. The study concludes that CPEC represents a multidimensional corridor project that extends beyond infrastructure development toward broader transformations in regional order competition across South Asia and the Middle East.