Can Pakistan capture Afghanistan’s strategic Wakhan Corridor? Pakistani analyst warns Islamabad, says China will…

Pakistan-Taliban struggle: Amid heightened tensions between Kabul and Islamabad and the looming possibility of a stout-blown Pakistan-Taliban struggle, Wakhan Corridor, a strategic slim strip of land in Afghanistan, has change into the point of passion of discussion staunch throughout the final few days after stories emerged, claiming that Pakistan used to be planning to rob retain an eye on of the foremost characteristic.

The Wakhan Corridor holds strategic significance for Pakistan as wisely as its “all-weather ally” China, alternatively, a senior Pakistani analyst has cautioned Islamabad in opposition to any miliary circulation within the characteristic.

‘China won’t handle it’

Imtiaz Gul, a renowned Pakistani writer and regional security analyst, believes Wakhan Corridor shares a frequent border with China, and Beijing will now not handle any armed forces circulation on its border, even if its applied by a trusted ally handle Pakistan. China has constructed a gargantuan armed forces post on the Wakhan border, which is tasked with combating the entry of extremist aspects from Afghanistan into China’s ethnic-dominated Xinjiang province.

The senior analyst notes that China already has a armed forces presence on the Wakhan border since 2014, Pakistan dangers upsetting Beijing and extra detrimental its ties with the Afghan Taliban if it carries out any armed forces offensive within the strategic corridor. Particularly, a Chinese remark-owned petroleum firm inked a handle Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban in January 2023 to extract oil and gas in Amu Darya (Amu River) characteristic, whereas in April 2023, Beijing signed any other agreement with the community to extract lithium in Afghanistan.

In keeping with experts, Pakistan should refrain from launching an offensive within the Wakhan Corridor. at a time when its embroiled in a raging war with the Tehreek-e-Taliban  Pakistan (TTP) terrorists, and stands on the brink of an all-out Pakistan Taliban struggle, amid strained ties.

Pakistan planning to capture Wakhan Corridor

Now not too long within the past, stories emerged that Pakistan and China are plotting to capture the strategic Wakhan Corridor, a slim strip of territory within the Badakhshan province of Afghanistan, which stretches eastward, connecting Afghanistan to Xinjiang, China. In keeping with a senior Pakistani analyst, Pakistan and China are planning to capture Wakhan Corridor from Afghanistan as it holds strategic significance for each and every countries.

If the two allies organize to capture the foremost corridor, it would offer China advise secure entry to to Pakistan, whereas the latter will additionally form easy secure entry to to Central Asia through Tajikistan. In 2021, when the Afghan Taliban seized energy in Afghanistan, Islamabad had hoped that it would secure unrestricted secure entry to to the Wakhan Corridor, however ties between the two dangle since hit rock bottom and the two neighbours are even searching at a seemingly stout-blown Pakistan-Taliban struggle.