Dr. Hasan Yaser Malik
Located at cross roads of Afghanistan, energy rich Tajikistan, an emerging world power China and geopolitically located Pakistan. The Wakhan Corridor is an ancient and a strategic pass linking China to West via Silk Route. Wakhan Corridor is attached to Tajikistan in north, China in east and Pakistan in south. However facets like quest for Great Game, Chinese Communist Revolution of 1949, Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and NATO invasion of Afghanistan till 2021 have unfortunately kept infrastructural development in Wakhan as a fallacy. Opening up of Wakhan Corridor will surely improve trade and diplomatic relations; between Pakistan, China, Afghanistan, Central Asia and Europe. Wakhan – Chitral River Route starting form Brogohail Pass to Gwadar Port along Chitral River can also link Jalalabad with Chitral. Wakhan Corridor at junction of Hindu Kush, Himalayas, Karakoram and Tian Shan Mountains, is encompassing an area of 14080 sq. km with length of 220 km and width ranging from 16 to 64 km. The area consists of rugged mountains and there is only one rough road leading to China via Wakhjir Pass, road was constructed in 1960 and is till 100 km short of Chinese Border. On the other side China has constructed a carpeted road only up to 10 km short of Afghan border. Wakhan Corridor has a mosaic consisting of 12,000 Wakhis and Kyrgzs Muslims. Russian occupation of Afghanistan in December 1979 compelled 1300 of them to take refuge in Pakistan across the Hindu Kush Range. However now due to contemporary regional geo-political and economic interests it should be developed in to a trade corridor up to Europe.
Due to Wakhjir and Tegermansu Passes China can dominate the corridor’s economic and geo-politics. Recently Beijing is busy projects of social and infrastructural development in Afghanistan with a view to secure and extend its trade routes passing through it to Gwadar Port and Middle East. Opening up of linkage with Afghanistan will not only add to a sympathetic tone from entire Muslim population of Tajikistan, Pakistan and Afghanistan population for China but will also help to diminish the much projected Chinese brutalities against Muslim in its Xinjiang Province.
Central Asian Region is physically attached to Wakhan Corridor hence Pakistan must utilize its geo-political location and diplomatic position by linking the corridor with its northern highlands along the Chitral River and by improving existing route to Jalalabad from Chitral. This 250 km long route should start from Baroghil Pass linking Mastuj, Booni, and Chitral and should link Jalalabad.
The proposed route will also serve as alternate to Karakorum Highway for China and Pakistan as a safeguard against any aggression by India as the proposed route will be 135 km away from India as compared to Karakorum Highway and will be out of Indian claimed Gilgit Baltistan. The proposed route will also provide as an alternate to Karakorum Highway in case of any natural calamity as the area is prone to earthquakes and formation of Atta Abad lake in 2010 is just one such example. Moreover this will also reduce the traffic on Karakorum Highway. The route should also be linked to Karakoram Highway by improving the existing route from Shandur to Gilgit via Gahkuch and Singul for mutual support. It will also serve as an alternate to Wakhjir Pass as it remains closed for five months a year due to extreme weather conditions and will emerge as on geo-political Manoeuvre space.
Afghan Government could not do much for social development of the corridor due to its self-sustaining tribal culture, rugged mountain terrain, regional geo-politics, cold climate and lack of funds. However now considering the economic and geo-political facets it will be prudent to develop it as a trade corridor even by involving the European nation like Germany to extend and strengthen the existing trade links. Germany is the biggest European economic power and has enhanced its trade relations with China through 8,000 Km long Leipzig-Chongqing Railway. Moreover presently around 5,000 German companies are working in China and 900 Chinese companies are functioning in Germany. Berlin is also making efforts to enhance peace and stability in Afghanistan to pursue its interests in Central Asia, Russia and ultimately to Indo-Pacific Region through Gwadar. Germany has provided Generalised System of Preference Plus to Pakistan since 2014 and has been making efforts to support Pakistani trade with EU for provision of greater market access. It will be prudent for regional countries and Germany to have an access to Gwadar Port through Wakhan Corridor which will be another pragmatic extension of Chinese Belt Road Imitative in the region, hence linking Pakistan to Europe.
Writer is Ph.D; International Relations and Fellow Research Member with Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transportation (UK)