Both India and the United States have indicated that they will wait to see how the situation in the war-ravaged country unfolds amid Taliban guarantees that they will not allow Afghanistan to become a breeding ground for terrorism.
“We have waiting and surveillance policies. It doesn’t mean you don’t do anything, it means the situation is very fluid on the ground, you have to see how it evolves. You have to see if guarantees have been made. They are publicly kept on the ground. “said Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla during his recent visit to the United States.
Former diplomats believe this is the right way to go.
“You should avoid the knee reaction”
Anil Wadhwa, who served as secretary (east) in the foreign ministry before retiring in 2017, said India should avoid any reaction to Afghanistan’s developments and pursue a policy of foreign affairs. ‘just wait.
“India should avoid a great reaction because it remains to be seen what kind of government the Taliban will form, whether it is an inclusive government or not. There is no great reaction (India should do it), just wait and see how the situation emerges, ”Wadhwa told PTI.
On the visit of the Pakistan ISI chief to Kabul, he said that the influence of the ISI on the Taliban, especially the haqqani, is well known and therefore they would like to have that influence in the new government.
“The situation (in Afghanistan) is in a state of flux and we should look forward to events. The fact that Pakistanis have a certain position in Afghanistan today is undeniable,” Raghavan said.
Asked whether India should explain its expectations of a government in Afghanistan and establish its preconditions for recognizing the regime there, he said: “I don’t think we are at a stage where we are turning our objectives in preconditions “.
“I’m not surprised what Pakistan does”
G Parthasarathy, who has been India’s envoy in several countries, including Pakistan, said India should not rush into anything and avoid any knee reaction to the events in Afghanistan.
“Having dealt with Pakistan and lived there for seven years, I would have been surprised if Pakistanis did not do what they were doing. Only sections of Indians are taken for a walk around Pakistan,” he told PTI in reference to the visit. of the head of the ISI.
Parthasarathy, warning of the China-Pakistan alliance, said: “We will always be wrong when we underestimate the dangers posed by the China-Pakistan alliance. Pakistan alone is not a threat, it becomes problematic when acts in alliance with China “.
On what India’s approach should be, the former diplomat told PTI that India should not run towards anything, take time and see the direction in which things are moving as the Afghanistan’s domestic policy will shape developments.
“India should take a public stand”
KC Singh, who has been India’s envoy to the UAE and Iran, said the fact that the formation of the Taliban government has been delayed indicates a struggle between the more moderate elements led by Mullah Barader and the Haqqanis facing Pakistan and its army.
“Most countries wait and watch, but they also put pressure on the Taliban. India should take a public position on what kind of inclusive government it expects, as long as it does not recognize the Taliban government,” he told PTI.
Pak-China power game
With the Taliban firmly in the saddle and ready to announce a new Afghan government next week, both China and Pakistan have entered a political excess to gain influence in the country.
Pakistan’s ISI chief lieutenant Faiz Hameed arrived in Kabul on Saturday on an announced visit to oversee the government’s training efforts. ISI is known to have encouraged the Taliban.
Hameed’s visit to Kabul came when the head of the army, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, met with British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab earlier in the day and said Pakistan would help the formation of an inclusive administration in Afghanistan.
The visit received strong criticism from former Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh, who said the Taliban are being micromanaged by the Pakistani ISI.
In an article published in the Daily Mail, Saleh, who has declared himself interim president of Afghanistan and now leads the Taliban resistance front in the Panjshir Valley, said Islamabad is at the head of the war-ravaged country as to colonial power.
Meanwhile, China has positioned itself as the Taliban’s most important ally as it seeks to extend its multimillion-dollar Belt and Road projects in Afghanistan and exploit its rich mineral deposits.
In a show of mutual bonhomie, China has offered to provide financial assistance to Afghanistan, while the latter has said it supports Beijing’s BRI projects in the country.
(With PTI tickets)