PoK is India’s strategic gateway to Central Asia and the Middle East. Through Gilgit-Baltistan and the Wakhan Corridor, India can access vital trade and energy routes. Aksai Chin and PoK together define India’s northern security and connectivity challenges. India-Pakistan land route, PoK vs Aksai Chin, Kashmir geopolitics, Wakhan Corridor, Gilgit-Baltistan access, India Central Asia trade, India energy route Middle East, CPEC impact on India, India Pakistan border control, PoK legal status, India’s trade ambitions, Strategic importance of Kashmir, Gateway to Central Asia.