Pak’s craving for Afghan ’strategic depth’ ’strategic death’ in reality: Editorial

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani recently clarified that Islamabad has no intentions of controlling Afghanistan, but it only wants a ’strategic depth’ in the war tattered country.

General Kayani’s statement clearly highlights that though the Pakistan Army does not want to establish its control over Afghanistan, it definitely desires a government of its choice in that country.

Kayani’s stance has put forth the Army’s old idea of having a ’strategic depth’ in Afghanistan, a policy which has had catastrophic effects on the country in the past few decades.

An editorial in one of Pakistan’s most read English dailies asked the military leadership to revisit the infection in the armed services of jihadi sympathisers.

“A nightmare scenario is looming if we do not give up the idea of ’strategic depth’, which may eventually turn out to be ’strategic death’,” The Daily Times editorial said.

The editorial also raised questions over the Pakistan Army’s offer to train the Afghan National Army on the lines of India, saying the initiative has come too late.

It said that being Afghanistan’s immediate neighbour Pakistan should have offered such help much earlier, rather than just waiting to catch-up with the New Delhi.

“We have to realise that Pakistan should have offered to help the Afghan army a long time ago instead of waiting for India to make the first move and then jump belatedly onto the bandwagon. A proxy war developing between India and Pakistan on Afghan soil is no secret any more,” it went on to add.

The editorial concluded that both India and Pakistan must stop trying to outdo each other, as it will only destabilise the region further.

“A peaceful Afghanistan will translate into a peaceful South Asia,” it said. (ANI)