Page 56 - 15DEC2018E

INTERNATIONAL

India’s increasing

assertion in Afghanistan

worries Pakistan

Islamabad’s growing frustration against New Delhi can be guessed by the recent statement of its
foreign secretary, Tehmina Janjua, before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs accusing India of
using Afghan soil for militancy in Pakistan, writes GOPAL MISRA

ho is afraid of Uncle activities from Canada to Dacca. Mean- ing the debate in the Pakistani senate,
Sam? The Pakistanis while, Bangladesh has refused to Pa- it was reasserted that “Pakistan only
have dared the US kistani envoy Saqlain Syedah for her receives “a trickle” of economic assis-
establishment, and close ties with ISI amidst the reports tance from the US and does not get any
W now, they are busy in that its Dacca high commission is per- military hardware from them and Paki-
having strategic alliances with Russia petrating ISI activities in Bangladesh stanis are not like in the past when they
and China. Pakistan under its military- and the neighboring West Bengal and were American’s proxy,”
sponsored Prime Minister Imran Khan the north-eastern states of India. According to a USAID report, the
has succeeded in garnering adequate The Pakistan’s growing frustration US aid to Pakistan till 2012 stood at $60
funds for its survival for next year. Both against India can be guessed by the Billion. Also, in the last five years alone,
Saudi and Chinese governments have recent statement of its foreign secre- since 2011, Pakistan has received some
extended huge financial assistance to tary, Tehmina Janjua, before the Senate $15 Billion in aid from America, includ-
Pakistan, which could enable its finan- Committee on Foreign Affairs accusing ing military and financial assistance. Afghanistan’s reconstruction process, lochistan Frontier Corps, Major Gen- Al-Qaeda and the Taliban government
cial difficulties for next 12 months. India of using Afghan soil for militancy After US President Donald Trump a cornerstone of Trump’s new Afghan- eral Nadeem Anjum, claimed before that harbored and supported Al-Qaeda
Emboldened with these liberal fund- in Pakistan and asserted her country called Pakistan a treacherous nation istan policy, even if Pakistan sees an the senate panel that the move by the in Afghanistan enabled it to destroy the
ing, Pakistani army and its intelligence would soon took up the matter with the and a safe haven for terrorists, engaged increased Indian presence in Afghani- “enemies” was aimed at compelling terrorists initially, but it has resurfaced
wing, Inter-Services intelligence (ISI), US. She asserted that the “US has been in double-dealings, harboring and pro- stan inimical to its interests. United Nations intervention to declare in recent years.
have decided to challenge India by apprised of the fact that Indian intelli- tecting the very same terrorists who Balochistan an independent state. These The United States has suffered more
adopting the twin strategy of projecting gence agency RAW is using Afghan soil attack the US interests in Afghanistan, Balochistan unrest statements enabled Anjum to seek more than 2,000 casualties in Afghanistan
itself a victim of terrorism while quietly for terrorist activities in Pakistan.” Dur- while unveiling his South Asia policy, During the discussion, the chairman funds for the para-military troops. and has spent more than $132 billion for
fanning up terror activities in Jammu the US has increasingly been putting of Senate panel, Rehman Malik, tar- While comparing the situation in reconstruction in the strife-torn cout-
and Kashmir as well as in the bordering more pressure on Pakistan to honor its geted Prime Minister Narendra Modi Balochistan with that in countries like nry. In that time, an elected Afghan gov-
states of Punjab and Rajasthan. The Im- commitment. for the growing unrest in Balochistan. Libya and Yemen, he alleged that efforts ernment has replaced the Taliban, and
ran Khan government appears to have Pakistani army and Pakistan has praised itself for the According to him, the Research and were being made to create unrest across nearly every measure of human devel-
green signaled to the renewed terror- ISI challenge India brilliant rescue operation to liber - Analysis Wing (RAW) and Afghan in- Balochistan, pointing that earlier there opment has improved, although future
ists’ attacks on India, especially follow- ate a US-Canadian family who was in telligence agency were carrying out was disturbance in just parts of the prospects of those measures remain
ing the presence of two former Indian by adopting the twin Haqqanis’ captivity for five years, the “terrorist activities” in Balochistan. province. He demanded that his troops mixed. While military officials profess
diplomats, Amar Sinha and TCA Ragh- strategy of projecting terse response from Trump was, “the He was extensively quoted in the daly should be equipped with “modern gadg- greater optimism about the course of
van at the recently held Moscow meet Pakistani government’s cooperation newspaper, Dawn. The anti-India ets and helicopter”. the war in 2018, other policymakers
for peace in Afghanistan. themselves a victim is a sign that it is honoring America’s drama was further enacted before The Congressional Research Papers and analysts have described the war
India did not send any official del- wishes for it to do more to provide the Senate sub-committee, when the extensively quoted in media point out against the insurgency (which controls
egation to the conference, but it de- of terrorism while security in the region.” Frontier Corps of Balochistan, a part that during the past nearly two dec- or contests nearly half of the country’s
ployed two non-officials, who earlier quietly fanning up The US has taken measures includ- of the federal paramilitary forces of ades, since 2001, Afghanistan has been territory, by Pentagon estimates) as a
had served as India’s Ambassador to ing cutting military aid to Pakistan and Pakistan, alleged that “enemies” of the a central U.S. foreign policy concern. stalemate.
Kabul and the High Commissioner to violence in J&K, is going to curtail its role in Afghanistan country have plans to increase the lev- In response to the terrorist attacks of The Parliamentary elections were
Pakistan. An angry Pakistani establish- while at the same time is looking for el of violence in the province. September 11 on its towers in New York, held in October 2018 but were marred
ment has triggered off ISI-sponsored Punjab and Rajasthan a strategic partnership with India in The Inspector General of the Ba- the US-led military campaign against by technical, logistical, and security

TEHELKA / 15 DECEMBER 2018 56 WWW.TEHELKA.COM TEHELKA / 15 DECEMBER 2018 57 WWW.TEHELKA.COM

56-58 Gopal Mishra.indd 2 11/30/2018 6:17:32 PM 56-58 Gopal Mishra.indd 3 11/30/2018 6:17:39 PM