India enjoys 'goodwill' and strong 'civilisational bond' in Afghanistan, says Foreign Secy
Shringla in Afghanistan: Feb 2020
New Delhi: India is highly expectant of the international community to remain 'responsive and united'in dealing with the post-Taliban takeover in Afghanistan.
It also said that New Delhi's investment in the "people of Afghanistan" has generated tremendous goodwill and cemented the civilisational bond.
"We expect the international community to remain both responsive and united at a time of crisis.
As for India, our long-standing investment in the people of Afghanistan has earned us tremendous goodwill and cemented the civilisational bond," Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla said in his 'Message' at a Virtual Symposium on ‘Glancing Back, Gazing Beyond: Understanding Afghanistan'.
"Our friendship with the Afghan people will continue to guide our approach in the future," he assrted.
The Foreign Secretary maintained it has often been said that geography is "destiny".
Thus, he said India’s destiny is "inextricably linked" with its neighbours.
"The countries in our neighbourhood are of unique and special strategic significance to India, both because they are deeply interconnected with us through ties of geography, culture and history, and also because of the internal and external dimensions of our policy," he said.
He said as a neighbouring country of Afghanistan, India is "naturally concerned" about the developments within that country and their external repercussions.
"India has a civilisational relationship with the Afghan people and those long-standing links guided and will continue to guide our approach. India’s development partnership with Afghanistan includes more than 500 projects spread across each of the 34 provinces of the country," he said.
They cover critical areas such as power, water supply, road connectivity, healthcare, education, agriculture and capacity building.
"Under our development assistance programme, we have built primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities across Afghanistan. More than 65,000 Afghan students have studied in India. Afghanistan is one of the largest beneficiaries of the Government of India’s ITEC scholarships."
Mr Shringla further said even as late as 2020, Afghanistan was accorded primacy in the supply of Covid-19 vaccines under India’s Vaccine Maitri initiatives. "We have also reached out with humanitarian food assistance worth millions of tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan," he said.
The Foreign Secretary said, "Subsequent to the recent changes in Afghanistan, our immediate focus has been the evacuation of Indian nationals from Afghanistan. Most Indian nationals were able to leave Kabul in August. A number of Afghans, including minorities, who were desirous of travelling to India, also managed to do so".
However, he pointed out that these processes could not be completed due to the security situation at the Kabul airport.
"Resumption of flights from Kabul airport is, therefore, a priority. We are closely monitoring the unfolding situation," he remarked.
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After decades of nexus, they realise Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan is a threat
No less than Pakistan's serving President Arif Alvi has now stated that the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is a threat.
In this context, he said in a rare interview: "Yes yes, Pakistan will think about it (for amnesty) for the people who lay down their weapons".
The realisation seems to have drawn on Pakistani authorities especially the Army top brass as international community are already cautioning Islamabad that it may soon find that 'friendship' with the Taliban would prove a costly affair.
"Pakistan will bleed in months to come," said a security expert in Delhi even as there are suggestions especially in the western media that the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan means Pakistan has perhaps achieved something it has struggled for years.
"This is a case of inherent challenges those come with some major achievements. It goes on to deliver a poetic justice," an informed analyst said.
Now, the 'risk' for Pakistan is that the Taliban is the citadel of power in Afghanistan itself. There are growing apprehensions that would force Afghan Taliban leadership to make a 'choice' between Pakistan and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.
It is being presumed that the Afghan Taliban would effortlessly prefer the latter for certain obvious reasons.
In the past, top Pakistan leaders including Gen Pervez Musharraf had admitted that it is Pakistan which has always supported Afghan Taliban.
Pakistan not only provided safe havens to Afghan Taliban leaders, it ensured the much required 'medical facilities and healing touch' including from women support base for the wounded fighters.
Many Afghan Taliban virtually had their wives and families in Pakistan. Thus, Indian experts also understand that both Pakistan and Afghan-Taliban leadership have a strong and mutual interest in maintaining a cordial and operational relationship.
From New Delhi's perspective it is well understood that the ISI has ensured that the Haqqani Network, which has a stronger bond with Pakistan, is given importance in the new dispensation in Kabul.
It also goes without stating that Pakistan was one of only three countries to recognize the Taliban government in the 1990s. It was the last to break ties with it after US forces started bombarding Afghanistan and Taliban hideouts and put pressure on Musharraf in 2001.
When Indian Airlines plane was hijacked and taken to Kandahar, yes, Pakistan had collaborated with Taliban and also the hijackers.
The release of Masood Azhar was well planned.
It is also believed that Pakistan played its double games in getting Taliban to negotiations with the US government at Doha and at the same time assured Taliban that their sinister and radical Islamic fundamentalism could be pursued.
But the challenges are slowly coming to haunt Pakistani military generals.
Notwithstanding the fact that the ISI chief had landed in Kabul and got himself photographed and videographed rejoicing the Afghan Qahwa/tea, it is obvious the Afghan Taliban leaders 'no longer need' refuge place or any hideout in Pakistan.
The availability of some US military arsenal as the western forces left Afghanistan also makes things much easier for Taliban to maneuver Pakistan as there is no longer any compelling need for Pakistani weaponry either.
Pakistan needs Taliban to push its Kashmir agenda, that is like an open secret.
But security experts understand that the army leadership in Pakistan have an immediate need to curb Tehrik-I-Taliban Pakistan's militant and violent activities.
As happens with these cases, Pakistan has to live with the two monsters they have created - one Afghan Taliban and secondly, the Tehrik-I-Taliban Pakistan.
Of course, the TTP like a self-created monster is Pakistan’s biggest terrorist threat.
There is another monster, that is the likelihood of growing pressure to implement Sharia laws in Pakistan.
The TTP is now being led by Baitullah Mehsud, who has in the past had echoed strongly the draconian interpretations of sharia laws.
More than trying to show its 'influence' over Taliban, the Pakistani ISI chief had a compulsion to keep Abdul Ghani Baradar 'away' from being Prime Minister - as they apprehend him to be 'closer' to the United States.
The TTP has started their activities ominously in hubs such as Karachi as well.
One expert pointed out to the 'Organiser' that the TTP had restarted their campaign of violence in Karachi region by July 2021 itself reminding Pakistan authorities the gory days of their sustained terror attacks between 2007 and 2014.
Moreover, the TTP splinter factions have been reunited also and the Taliban’s victory in Afghanistan has already boosted their morale as it has done to the Al-Qaeda and also the IS.
Reports claimed an attack by TTP on Sept. 4 killed at least three Pakistani military personnel.
Much to the chagrin of Pak military officers, Afghan Taliban could now inch closer to the TTP more from operational and ideological partnership point of view.
Pakistan could even turnout to be a liability for the new Taliban regime in Kabul irrespective of the fact that their chosen man, Serajuddin Haqqani, is the new interior minister.
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Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid has already said that Afghan soil “will not be used by anyone to destroy the peace of another country". This means at least on the face value, Islamabad's Kashmir agenda would have to wait for more permutation and combination.
An informed analyst says unlike the 1990s the fact that Afghanistan common people and especially women are maintaining their protest, the Taliban regime could be under pressure to thwart Pakistani interference in day to day's functioning.
Who knows, the Taliban regime may even snub Islamabad to win over their own people who are resisting Pakistani interference.
Such gestures could also help regain legitimacy overseas and also cool down its angry, nervous but 'yet protesting' home crowd.
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