Osama Bin Laden and associates were once our and CIA's joint hero - Pervez Musharraf. The New Great Game – A Pakistani Perspective – Lt Gen (r) Tariq Khan #GVS

"Afghanistan’s geo-strategic location makes it central to China, Central Asian Republic States, Iran and Pakistan. It is thus a fulcrum in the region, whose political and administrative status can impact on the region as a whole. It is also the gateway to South Asia. 

South Asia comprises 11 countries with India assuming the role of a regional power and Pakistan a close rival to it. With a history of bilateral issues, India and Pakistan have deep animosities and treat each other as enemy states. This puts other South Asian Regional nations into one or the other rival camp. China is close to assuming global leadership in the economic domain and the US in its bid to contest such a possibility has set up a strategic Alliance with India as a matter of choice. 

This has resulted in Pakistan being ignored by the US and leaving it little choice but to get closer to China. The Indo-Us partnership viz. viz. the Pak-China collaboration thus become a naturally opposing counter-balance to one another in the affairs of a regional strategic paradigm. 

The region is once again confronted by a potential conflict; a New Great Game is on the horizon and whereas the Games maybe new and the players different but the region is old with a history of such conflict. It would be pertinent to mention that regions are not something by themselves or stand-alone entities and similarly nor is South Asia." 

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