Editing Strategic depth (section)

===View of the Pakistan military===
The former chief of army staff General [[Ashfaq Pervez Kayani|Ashfaq Kayani]] and previously the director-general of the [[Inter-Services Intelligence|ISI]], has repeatedly stated to the media that the Pakistan armed force's "strategic depth" policy with regards to Afghanistan is not to "control" Afghanistan but to ensure a "peaceful, friendly and stable" [[Pakistan - Afghanistan relations|relationship]] with Afghanistan. This policy therefore aims to ensure that Pakistan will not be threatened with long-term security problems on its [[Durand Line|Western border]] with Afghanistan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archives.dawn.com/archives/29601|title=Kayani speaks|date=3 February 2010|work=Dawn|access-date=20 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110415052016/http://archives.dawn.com/archives/29601|archive-date=15 April 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> According to Kayani, a 'talibanised' Afghanistan is not in Pakistan's interests.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenews.com.pk/blog/blog_details.asp?id=461|title='Talibanised' Afghanistan not in Pakistan's interest: Kayani|date=3 February 2010|work=The News|location=Pakistan|access-date=20 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111204050015/http://www.thenews.com.pk/blog/blog_details.asp?id=461|archive-date=4 December 2011|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Parkes 2019 pp. 254–274">{{cite journal | last=Parkes | first=Aidan | title=Pakistan's Strategic Culture and its Gordian Knot in Afghanistan | journal=Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs | publisher=SAGE Publications | volume=6 | issue=3 | year=2019 | issn=2347-7970 | doi=10.1177/2347797019885728 | pages=254–274| s2cid=213418379 }}</ref>

According to Ejaz Haider, a Pakistani military journalist, there is a confusion in the media regarding the policy on using Afghan territory to as a fallback area for Pakistan military assets. Haider blames General [[Mirza Aslam Beg]] for proposing this when he was the chief of army staff of the Pakistan Army under [[Prime Minister of Pakistan|Prime Minister]] [[Benazir Bhutto]], stating that this concept "was unpopular even when he was the chief and it has never been entertained by serious military planners. No one thinks of placing military and other assets in Afghanistan and thus acquiring strategic depth." Haider states that such a concept has always been impossible "for a host of reasons" and strategic depth is better used to describe achieving security through improving relationships with the governments of neighbouring countries such as Afghanistan and India.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/268921/pakistan-needs-strategic-depth/|title=Pakistan needs strategic depth|last=Haider|first=Ejaz|date=7 October 2011|work=The Express Tribune|access-date=20 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026074304/http://tribune.com.pk/story/268921/pakistan-needs-strategic-depth/|archive-date=26 October 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>

Lieutenant-General [[Asad Durrani]] of ISI, has rubbished claims in the media regarding Pakistan intending to use Afghan territory as "strategic depth". He also denies accusations that the Pakistan military has tried to "install a friendly government in Kabul" in order to "secure this depth". He gives the Soviet Union as an example, stating that "after the [[Saur Revolution]], the Soviets executed an installed president every three months in pursuit of that objective" and these policies later resulted in the defeat of the Soviets in Afghanistan. He argues that the notion of Pakistan using Afghan territory for its own purposes is a "distortion of a concept or of history" and is being used to vilify Pakistan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/277418/strategic-depth--revisited/|title=Strategic depth — revisited|last=Lt-Gen (r) Asad Durrani|date=19 October 2011|work=The Express Tribune|access-date=20 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111021142919/http://tribune.com.pk/story/277418/strategic-depth--revisited/|archive-date=21 October 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>