By Kamran Shafi
From Daily Dawn, Published 19th January, 2010
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/columnists/14-defining-strategic-depth-910
And how does it help us? We are engaged in the Great Game in Afghanistan, we are told, because ‘strategic depth’ is vital for Pakistan due to the fact that our country is very narrow at its middle and could well be cut into half by an Indian attack in force.
Strategic depth, we are further informed, will give respite to our armed forces which could withdraw into Afghanistan to then regroup and mount counter-attacks on Indian forces in Pakistan. I ask you!
I ask you for several reasons. Let us presume that the Indians are foolish enough to get distracted from educating their people, some of whom go to some of the best centres of learning in the world. Let us assume that they are idiotic enough to opt for war instead of industrialising themselves and meeting their economic growth targets which are among the highest in the world.
Let us imagine that they are cretinous enough to go to war with a nuclear-armed Pakistan and effectively put an immediate and complete end to their multi-million dollar tourism industry. Let us suppose that they lose all sense, all reason, and actually attack Pakistan and cut our country into half.
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Filed under Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, Army, baluchistan, Great game, India, Islamabad, North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan, Punjab, quetta, state, Taliban, War On Terror
Tagged as Afghanistan, Army, extremism, FATA, India, Islamabad, Kamran Shafi, Lahore, Military, Musharraf, Pakistan, Politics, PPP, Taliban, war on terror