Japan-Pakistan and Central Asia in War on Terror

Abstract

Central Asia or “Shredve Asia” in Russian language is widely known as “Middle Asia” to the Russians. It comprised of Tajkistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Krugizstan and Kazakhstan. The region shares common borders with Iran, China, Russia and Afghanistan. The heartland of Central Asia is Marwaran-nahar (literally “that which is beyond the river” viz Amu Darya) i-e Trans-Oxiana-really the valley of Zarafshan, the Golden River- the River of Rodaki, the Persian poet of 10th century A.D which had nourished the cities of Bokhara and Samarkand of medieval fame and which was the home of the ancient civilization of Sogdiana, based on the capitals of Afrasiab and Panchikant.