India and Pakistan are the two rival nuclear States of South Asia. Right from their inceptions, they did not have friendly bilateral relations. They fought three major wars and had been in military standoffs a few times. India has always tried to destabilize Pakistan economically, politically and militarily to become the regional power of south Asia. For this purpose India found another country, Afghanistan, which bears ill will towards Pakistan due to some of its issues, like the Durand Line, and others, with Pakistan. Afghanistan is a landlocked country of south Asia and always had a significant place in global politics due to its strategic and economic importance as it has been considered a bridge to the oil and gas trade route and a gateway to the central Asian market.
On the other hand, India and Afghanistan had friendly relations throughout history. India was the only South Asian country to recognize the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. The relation received a massive blow when the Afghan civil war started after the Soviet departure from Afghanistan in 1989 onwards. The Taliban government did not maintain strong relations with India, as during the Taliban regime the Hindus were being watched keenly in Afghanistan. India was involved in building the infrastructure in Afghanistan since 1980. When Taliban took control, this aid was halted. When the Taliban were ruling, they seemed the perfect partners for Pakistan both politically and militarily. That Pro-Pakistani attitude of the Afghan Taliban was pinching India.
Now when the US and allied forces invaded Afghanistan and removed the Taliban regime, after the 9/11 attacks, a global war on terror was declared by the USA. This major strategic shift set a perfect ground for India to become the strong ally of Afghanistan as the Taliban were thrown away. The Afghan elite leadership believed that Pakistan brought the Taliban into power and then toppled them down again by collaborating with the USA. After the Taliban’s dismissal, Hamid Karzai became President of Afghanistan, who hated Pakistan because he was of the view that Pakistani spy agency ISI had killed his father in 1999. He also had some emotional bond with India as he received his masters education form India. When Karzai was interviewed at some point, he considered India as the perfect partner for Afghanistan. He called India a democratic, stable, economically rich country and the best friend of Afghanistan. This was a perfect platform for India to invest in Afghanistan and achieve its strategic and economic goals.
Pakistan needs to regain the trust of Afghans by cooperating with the Afghan government politically and economically. Pakistan should also make strong military relations with Afghanistan in order to oust the threatening Indian influence from Afghanistan. Pakistan should strengthen its bilateral relations with Afghanistan as Pakistan cannot afford to have same enemy at multiple front
During Karzai’s government India reopened its embassy and four consulates in Afghanistan to increase its influence there. India provided some &1.5 billion aid for the rebuilding of Afghanistan in the post-Taliban era and promised to invest about $500 million in the near future. India gained the trust of Afghans because of all its efforts to rebuild Afghanistan and succeeded in increasing its influence in Afghanistan and minimizing Pakistan’s influence there. During this time India constructed a negative image of Pakistan. Apart from this, Afghanistan’s elites always blamed Pakistan for the destruction of the country and for providing support and safe haven to the Afghan Taliban. Afghanistan also rejects the Durand Line; and claims that the Pashtoon-dominated areas of Pakistan belong to Afghanistan. These misperceptions brought Afghanistan to build stronger ties with India.
India has its own strategic and economic interests in Afghanistan for which they are investing ample resources. Their strategic interests include, to conduct covert operations against Pakistan using Afghan soil, to keep eye on Jihadist Islamic Groups; who are fighting in Indian-occupied Kashmir, to minimize Pakistan’s and the Taliban’s influence in Afghanistan, and to support separatist and militant groups like BLA in Pakistan, The economic interests include getting access to central Asia for trade.
India projected its image as a true helper, but as realists say there is no permanent friend and no permanent enemy in international relations, what matters are the states’ interests. India, too, was makng all efforts to achieve its own aims. India also exploited the Afghan refugees in Pakistan with the help of NDS, by using them in funding militant organizations and carrying out terrorist attacks in Pakistan. That’s how India took the advantage of the lack of cultural, social and political connection between Pakistan and Afghanistan and exploited Afghans.
Pakistan needs to tackle this issue wisely. Pakistan is also playing a vital role in peace talks between Taliban and the USA. It needs to regain the trust of Afghans by cooperating with the Afghan government politically and economically. Pakistan should also make strong military relations with Afghanistan in order to oust the threatening Indian influence from Afghanistan. Pakistan should strengthen its bilateral relations with Afghanistan as Pakistan cannot afford to have same enemy at multiple fronts.
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