"Tension between Pakistan-Afghanistan will continue to rise in coming days": West Asia Strategist

New Delhi [India], October 10 (ANI): West Asia strategist Waiel Awwad on Friday warned that tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan are likely to intensify in the coming days, citing the expulsion of Afghan nationals, the influence of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and broader geopolitical factors in the region.
He added that the current situation could be advantageous for India but may not sustain long-term benefits for Pakistan.
Speaking to ANI, Awwad said, "This is advantageous to India at this stage... Because of the tension rising between Pakistan and the Pakistani Pashtun, Pakistan have started expelling the Afghan people out of Pakistan. That also raised the tension between the two countries. We have to take the wider perspective of the crisis in South Asia. We have to see the Chinese angle to it. The economic corridor between Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China has raised lots of tension and brought the invested interested countries into the conflict... It's not always Afghanistan that is the issue."
"It's also the connectivity between the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) country and the rest of the world because of its rich in oil and gas. That's what made it a centre of attraction... This tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan will continue to rise in the coming days," he added.
"CIS country" refers to a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a regional organisation formed after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The current full members are: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
Awwad also commented on Pakistan's strategic calculations, noting, "Pakistan is feeling the heat and is now thinking that they are playing a center in the West Asian affairs... especially after the Sindoor operation, where we said the Americans were appeasing the Pakistanis to such an extent that the Pakistanis went into their head...
"Neutralisation of Pakistan in nuclear power and ballistic missiles is one of the priorities at the first step. But the Pakistanis, now with the money coming from the Chinese, from the Gulf countries, may feel that they are able to rebuild their industry or their military. But I don't think that in the long run Pakistan will be at an advantage," he added. (ANI)