Wakhan Corridor...An opportunity!

[silent hawk]

Thanks for an interesting article

 

[EAK]

Very well written article dear..Good Points raised.. Great effort Indeed.. double thumbs up

 

[Path-Finder]

Afghan incursion into Bajaur agency in 1960-61 and other Afghan raids in Baluchistan and Khyber throughout 1950s-60s, under Prime Minister Sardar Daud Khan is an example. Afghanistan also completely severed ties in 1961 after they were defeated from Bajaur. On September 3, 1961 Afghanistan sealed its side of the border and on September 6, 1961 breaks relations. Again in 1974 Sardar Daud Khan, now President, hosted General Secretary of the ANP led by Khan Abdul Wali Khan, Ajmal Khattak,and others like Juma Khan Sufi, Baluch guerrillas etc. and started training Pakhtun Zalmay and young Baluchs and was sending them to Pakistan for sabotage and militancy.

After this brief history the afghans have the cheek to hate Us. Honestly why even bother with afghans! As for the wakhan corridor it is between "13–65 kilometers (8.1–40.4 mi) wide" would it be plausible to tunnel narrowest part although it will be easier to build a road over land but a tunnel underneath means we don't have to put up with afghans opening a clear access to central Asia and making Gwadar even more important hub in the region!

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

Militarily this can be achieved in less than a day..(air lifting troops/SF & weapons into the valleys)... Political repercussions will be too much..

Although I agree that Pak should have done this decades back in retaliation to afghan invasions..


But today it will be very hard.. Sanctions,embargoes are pretty much screw s country over..

The wise approach is to take afghan govt in confidence... Built infrastructure in the corridor and if possible station a few hundred (heavily armed) troops!

 

[haviZsultan]

We need a stronger foreign policy and should respond to Afghan attacks. This much is certain.

 

[abbasniazi]

IMHO, why think of robbing someone else of his/her rightful property? Instead, why not offer a better opportunity in the form of a 100 year lease agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan during which all rights of the region will be handed over to Pakistan except the right to ownership and in return Pakistan will develop the Area, Population and pay an attractive lease amount every year to the existing Afghan Government and after the lapse of 100 years we'll see what the people of the area decide for themselves, i am sure Pakistan can lobby for such lease through Afghan Parliament (not the present one ofcourse but some future Parliament), but we must have one thing in mind with clarity and that is WHATS NOT OURS IS NOT OURS...

 

[Aamir Hussain]

The opportune time was in the early part of 60's when Afghanistan was at it viz a viz Pakistan. We would have had a valid reason because of the Bajaur Incident.

Now, its too late. It can be planned as military ops. if and when Afghanistan decides to go for an adventure. But otherwise, it would be a political disaster for Pakistan and India would have a field day!!!

Let us keep our focus on getting rid of extremism and intolerance and focus on getting our economy back on track. Enough fingering in and around our neighborhood -- after all there are only five fingers in a hand

 

[RealNapster]

Why occupy our Neighbour's Territory, an action which will give us little or no benefit but it will definitely give us a huge headache. The only limited benefit of having Wakhan is direct access to Tajikistan and then by default, access to rest of Central Asia, as trading route.

Through the CPEC we have already accomplished that. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor gives us access to Kashgar and Kashgar is connected to ALL OF CENTRAL ASIA.

So I fail to see the point of this article.

..
As per there claim, we already "captured" there land in shape of "fata and Kp" ..
and they don't recognize Durand line. so let's push it a-little bit more on there side.

You are right about this one mate, The Wakhan Corridor without a doubt is extremely important for not only Afghanistan but for Pakistan and China as well. If China and Pakistan get together and propose Afghanistan a ridiculous offer to buy it off from them, I believe half of our (Pakistan, China & Tajikistan) troubles will be solved. I know and I am completely aware that Afghanistan would never agree but whats shame in trying? And after all history is evident that a ridiculous offers were always hard to turn down.

In case of "buying" it will cost you in billion $'s .. in Case of "Capturing" it will cost you "may be life of 5-10 soldiers maximum and a little political pressure and may be some sanctions from west... but who cares.. ? Russia , China, Tajikistan and other Central Asian coutries will be with you for there "own benefits" .. win-win situation on all sides.

If we had a sensible Politicians we could have asked all those Afghan Refugees living here in Pakistan for decades, particularly the Pathans, to pressurize their Government for a referendum that they want an annexation with Pakistan. After all they live here, and they are the true owner of their territory, and majority of them don't want to leave Pakistan. So, whats wrong in annexation with Pakistan? Only the Pathan population makes the total of 56% of Afghanistan population. And in that sense, we can have around 50% of Afghanistan land merge into Pakistan. So, here is the thing we do not need neither do we have to think invading Afghanistan. We have this golden opportunity, only if, our Politicians knew how to work things out.

Brother. if you really know them, meet them, watch them, talk them, listen them......... You will never ever agree to annex them with Pakistan. Trust me They are Bastards of Bastards of Bastards. Just take there land and throw them out of that land...

However despite us turning out to be a clear victor against a much much much much weaker enemy we will still have to return wakhan after a ceasefire is announced and international community joins in. Even in the cold start end India returns captured territory whilst teaching pakistan a lesson.

I agree with your other sentences. but these are what i don't agree with. If india returns land it get its land which was taken captured by Pakistan (doesn't matter how much) ... So what you think Afghan Army CAN ACTUALLY take Land from You ? Hell No... So in response of "what" you will return them wakhan ? in such case you can keep it by ignoring pollitical pressure from west by simply labeling it "cost of war" ...... and don't forget ".. that war was started "as per plan" by Afghanistan .. So you are in a moral Position to Keep Wakhan . Chill ..

 

[Path-Finder]

no we dont need to occupy anything just build a road through it and the afghans who always bicker among themselves will continue to do so in afghanistan and wont really bother with a little strip of wakhan area. we just need a road/rail link to Tajikistan and that's it.

 

[RealNapster]

1. Only in retaliation, as you you say but at what scale?
2. Would Pakistan be able to keep the corridor after ceasefire / peace treaty?
3. Could the corridor be used as a bargaining chip for the recognition of the Durand line?
4. Russia did not annex Crimea. The Crimeans wanted to be part of the Russian Federation after the illegal coup in Kiev.

1.. Even 2000 Armed Soldiers , 200 of them with Man-pad SAM's will be enough.

2.. Yes. if this all was started by Afghanistan. You will have there land but they will have nothing from you to bargain with. So morally You can keep it by ignoring west. Russia ,china , Tajikistan and other CA countries will support you. and by the way did america returned that "cuba part" which it still have ??

3... they don't recognize Durand line from 1947 .. so what ?? in fact we need to Push it further back. as they already do not recognize it... wesy nahe sahe to aise sahe...

4... Don't compare Crimean with Wakhan.

Militarily this can be achieved in less than a day..(air lifting troops/SF & weapons into the valleys)... Political repercussions will be too much..

Although I agree that Pak should have done this decades back in retaliation to afghan invasions..


But today it will be very hard.. Sanctions,embargoes are pretty much screw s country over..

The wise approach is to take afghan govt in confidence... Built infrastructure in the corridor and if possible station a few hundred (heavily armed) troops!

do you know . Afghan army in 2003 was only 1750 Soldiers. and there duty was to secure President Palace. LoL... Musharaf Ye chance kesy miss kar gya...

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

1.. Even 2000 Armed Soldiers , 200 of them with Man-pad SAM's will be enough.

2.. Yes. if this all was started by Afghanistan. You will have there land but they will have nothing from you to bargain with. So morally You can keep it by ignoring west. Russia ,china , Tajikistan and other CA countries will support you. and by the way did america returned that "cuba part" which it still have ??

3... they don't recognize Durand line from 1947 .. so what ?? in fact we need to Push it further back. as they already do not recognize it... wesy nahe sahe to aise sahe...

4... Don't compare Crimean with Wakhan.


do you know . Afghan army in 2003 was only 1750 Soldiers. and there duty was to secure President Palace. LoL... Musharaf Ye chance kesy miss kar gya...

It doesn't matter if it was 1750 or 2 lac... It's not really an "army" .

 

[Sugarcane]

Good article, But we have lost this opportunity (as many have already mentioned). But - Yes, it should be response to any future adventure by Afghans. By the way can't we try to convince Afghans to sell the corridor to us just like we purchased Gawadar? Of-course we have to come up with some lucrative deal

 

[ArsalanKhan21]

These idiots are going overboard should be sent to fight ISIS and sacrifice their life for good cause rather than planning another war and possible terrorism in Pakistan. Afghans will not sit and take that calmly. It seems we have mini-Napoleanic traitors who seem to believe that their actions will not have any adverse consequences.

 

[RealNapster]

It doesn't matter if it was 1750 or 2 lac... It's not really an "army" .

but they are gonna be army.. give them 10 years of stability and see.
So we have to make it quick in that case.
But i don't think Afghanistan conditions will come to normal after this new player ISIS... it will even get worse.

 

[wiseone2]

Wakhan Corridor...An opportunity!
And before some Afghan troll call me Punjabi etc, I am a Pashtun. Zen Pashtun yum.
Asfandyar Bhittani
twitter @bhittanikhannnn

Pusthuns will unite under a single state. It is manifest destiny. Look at European history - it took 200 years for Germany to emerge from all the Germanic states. Pakistanis are fighting a losing battle here. No amount of brain washing under Islam will work