In Afghanistan-India nexus, Afghanistan is on the losing side
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When Soviet Union back in 1970s & '80s occupied Afghanistan, Pakistan played a vital and ultimate role in having it liberated. Also, Pakistan let in millions of Afghan refugees thus over burdening its frail economy as well as deteriorating its security situation and social fabric.
India on the other hand was part of Soviet Union block during that time and essentially had kept quiet.
Now that Afghanistan needs Pakistan again, instead of cooperating and seeking help from Pakistan, it has sat in the lap of India. India cannot help Afghanistan in getting it out of this predicament it is facing currently rather most likely India will further push it into the quagmire.
Investing few millions of dollars by India perhaps will show Afghanistan that India is interested in its development but the case is totally opposite.
India in reality is not out to help Afghanistan, but to drive strategic benefit on expense of Afghanistan’s peace. India’s main target is Pakistan. It wants to use Afghanistan's permeable boarders to perpetrate terrorism in Pakistan.
NDS (Afghan intelligence agency) is playing in the hands of RAW (Indian intelligence agency) and helping India in this cause. Indian consulates across the border from Pakistan play a vital role in training of miscreants and cross border terrorism within Pakistan. Capturing of Indian agents within Pakistan with malicious intent, carry clear evidence of such Indian intentions.
The reason India is so desperate that it is using terror as a weapon to destabilize Pakistan and the region as whole so it does not let Pakistan drive potential benefits of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the regional economic cooperation which is on the cards. Additionally India wants to divert attention of the rest of the world from the atrocities it is perpetrating on Kashmiris, who are fighting for freedom from India for past 70years.
Afghanistan playing a part in this terror nexus and hurting Pakistan will prolong this war on terror in the region and hurt Afghanistan itself for the long haul as coming Afghan generations take up arms.
Pakistan is on the road to get into a regional cooperation with China, Russia and Iran. There is a very good chance other Central Asian countries will also join as there are great deal of economic benefits to be had by being part of this regional cooperation. If Afghanistan does not come to its senses then it will be isolated as India will be in coming years.
Afghanistan must foresee what future holds for this region and do away with helping terrorists perpetrate terror acts inside Pakistan and instead join hands for betterment of its own people.
Economic prosperity will only come when Afghanistan grabs such opportunities rather than by becoming a colony of India.
By making use of such economic opportunities Afghan government will create jobs thus Afghans will earn livelihood for their families and educate coming generations rather than have perpetual uneducated extremist generations.
Government of Pakistan and its foreign missions need to workup a steadfast approach to ensure powers that be are made aware of true intentions of India. They must be convinced that in order to have peace in the region and globally for that matter, Afghanistan must be taken out of grasp of India and forced to sit down with Pakistan to sort out bi-lateral differences.
On the other hand United States of America must understand that it cannot have its cake and eat it too. Either it needs to work wholeheartedly to bring peace in the region or collaborate with India for its own geo-politics.
Author: Doc Shahzad latif
Political Economist
