By Afshain Afzal

Indian Ministry of External Affairs claimed with authority, “Where New Delhi cannot bear to tolerate Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan, it is Pakistan which is paving way for them to recognize Taliban while Islamabad themselves want to keep distance due to their policy of giving priority to Tehran”. Both India and Pakistan are on the same grid against majority rule in Afghanistan in favour of broad-based collation government”. There are reports that Western countries and India although in contact with Afghanistan Interim Government but are supporting and funding Opposition parties and terrorist outfits including the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, Afghanistan Freedom Front and Hizb-e-Wadhat and Islamic State Khorasan Province.

If we compare India and Pakistan as both have missions in Kabul, Islamabad is repatriating Pashtun population of Afghanistan residing in Pakistan but ironically allowing Farsi speaking and certain specific ethnic Afghans to reside in Pakistan till the time their resettlement by the European countries, Canada, United States and other Western nations are not decided. Speaking on the condition of anonymity a Afghan refugee who is being reprinted along with his all family members claims that he would return again after some time as it is Dollars business for refugees, UNHCR, government, and INGOs.

This year, New Delhi signed landmark agreement to setup industrial infrastructure in Afghanistan, especially Textile sector. For the purpose, a good number of Persian-speaking Afghan women are getting training in textile sector in India. India also hosts a sizeable Afghan population of estimated 170,000 individuals, mostly women and children. In addition, Afghan students numbers over 15,000 and Military personnel numbers around 8,000 personnel in 2025.

In another recent development, a few weeks back Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said in an official briefing, “Very soon what we intend to make Afghanistan will be reality as our neighbor through our proxies in Gilgit Baltistan”. Without naming a Brigadier hailing from Gilgit Baltistan, he said. “we have top brass working for us”. He also claimed, “Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, an officer Afghan Army after completion training at Indian Military Academy at Dehradun defected and worked for both Tehran and us”.

The US’ “South Asia Strategy” exempted Iranian port in Chabahar from sanctions to facilitate Afghanistan to use port for the trade and communication. The attempt is aimed to support pro-Iran cum pro-India Afghan leadership for country’s economic growth and development and elimination of Pakistan role in Afghanistan. The Americans are also supporting the Iran – Afghanistan railway project for the transportation of Iranian petroleum shipments and other goods to Afghanistan and at the same time minimizing dependence on Pakistan's port of Karachi and Gwadar. No one can deny that Pakistan and Afghanistan are two brothers and one nation, living as two independent and sovereign countries. Pakistan and Afghanistan must not forget that the enemies, rivals and competitors of both the countries are trying to minimize dependence of both the countries on each other and replace centuries old traditional routes between Afghanistan and Pakistan to dent religious, cultural and social harmony between them.