RAW, Afghan soil and Pakistan — I

The indispensible role of Pakistan in Afghan peace process is causing desperation and frustration for India. India views new development as a threat to her colossal investment in Afghanistan and is fraught to safeguard her vested interests against Pakistan. India’s vast diplomatic presence in Afghanistan is already raising alarms of suspicions amongst the international community and policy makers. Interestingly, India has four consulates in Qandhar, Herat, Jalalabad, Mazar-e-Sharif and one Embassy in Kabul. On the contrary, India has three consulates and an embassy in Australia where volume of her defence, trade and other collaboration is much more as compared to that with Afghanistan. Her diminishing role in Afghanistan, especially on the face of Pakistan’s role in Afghan peace process is also against her hegemonic designs of emerging as a big brother in the region. Presence of such an un-proportionate diplomatic arrangement/activity in a war torn country seems something beyond diplomacy. The fact is that it facilitates her sinister designs of targeting Pakistan with ease. Pakistan has repeatedly raised serious concerns and apprehensions at every forum that such unnecessary and lavish diplomatic infrastructure is aimed at supporting, funding and fueling ethnic and sectarian terrorism inside Pakistan. Indian intelligence agencies have been operating many Pakistan specific training camps for TTP as well BLA terrorists who carry out their nefarious activities indiscriminately by targeting assigned soft and military targets in Pakistan. Unfortunately, Afghan intelligence agency NDS elements also join hands with RAW in stirring unrest in Pakistan. Recent arrests of Indian RAW terrorist Kul Bhushan Yadav and an officer of NDS from Balochistan has given authentication to Pakistani allegations in this context.

Afghanistan, a playground of ongoing great game, badly sandwiched between various strategic perspectives, is not spared by her so-called friend India. India is committed to exploit the situation to fulfill her strategic ambitions through malicious scheming, mostly against Pakistan. Moreover, the political landscape of war-ridden Afghanistan which is dominantly fraught with maneuvers and intrigues between different power hungry ethnic and political groups as well as individuals, offers India excellent opportunities to augment her maneuvers to create fissures in the society, exploit extremists groups like TTP, ETIM etc. “National Unity Government” in Afghanistan is literally divided between President Ashraf Ghani (a moderate) and pro-India CEO Abdullah Abdullah.

India has a known history of keeping Afghanistan unstable, weak and dependent to exploit its soil for encircling Pakistan, checking the progress of China and create forced ingress in Central Asian markets. To keep the situation favourable for her malicious activities, India through her pet proxies and RAW’s backed operations remains engaged in widening trust deficit between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Frequent terrorist attacks against Afghan government are part of this grand strategy. Recent attack in Afghanistan which triggered Afghanistan’s criticism against Pakistan and resulted in cancellation of Abdullah Abdullah’s forthcoming visit to Pakistan is also a case in point.

India through its strong shadows and foot prints in Afghanistan has always exerted to weaken Pakistan through its allies like Baloch/Sindhi sub-nationalists and other anti-Pakistani elements. General Stanly Mcrystal, former Commander of Isaf, believes that Indian presence in Afghanistan will create security concerns for Pakistan. He states, “Increasing Indian influence in Afghanistan is likely to exacerbate regional tensions and encourage Pakistani countermeasures.” Over the years, India has always tried to blunt Pakistan’s influence in Afghanistan. As part of her strategy to harm and weaken Pakistan, stemming from India’s own version of a Monroe Doctrine, in which New Delhi sought to dominate South Asia in the decades after independence. Even after it overwhelmingly supported the secession of East Pakistan in 1971, New Delhi continued to back Baloch insurgents in Pakistan.

Pakistan is fully aware of the fact that a stable Afghanistan means a stable Pakistan. Pakistan has been and will continue making concerted efforts in abetting Afghanistan restore an atmosphere of stability and peace while anchoring on the mooring of strong diplomacy and sustained national growth. Unfortunately, no efforts on the part of Pakistan or international community can succeed unless, real trouble creator is singled out. One can recall the remarks of ex-US Defence Secretary Chuck Hegel who in his talk on Afghanistan had remarked that India had been using Afghanistan as a second front against Pakistan and over the years financed problems for Pakistan. India being the major beneficiary of instability in Af-Pak region, is focusing in China, Afghanistan and Pakistan to create instability.

The deadly wave of terrorism which has consumed over sixty thousands lives, mostly of Armed Forces and LEAs is an unasked for reward of our efforts in fighting against global terrorism. Pakistan had set no limits in combating menace of terrorism without caring for her own losses in terms of lives and property. Despite all efforts, sincerity and resolve to help restore peace in Afghanistan, Pakistan is still blamed by Afghanistan of not doing enough. This is regrettable as well as ridiculous. This blame game engineered by international spoilers, especially the India to tarnish image of Pakistan is highly condemnable.

Indian and some Western spin doctors frequently allege Pakistan of having association with Taliban. Pakistan being herself the worst victim of Taliban has many a times denounced any proximity with Taliban. The impression of proximity is in fact a malicious propaganda to fuel mistrust between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Pakistan is and will continue facilitating Afghan-led peace process with utmost seriousness to see peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan in the neighbourhood. At the same time Pakistan strongly urges international community to take notice of conspiracies against her sincerity and resolve.

To be continued