Page 6 - The Indian EYE 101025
P. 6

EYE ON INDIA                                                        OCTOBER 10, 2025       |  The Indian Eye                    6


            India Makes a Strategic Outreach to




          Afghanistan amid Pakistan’s Dilemma





         India’s careful engagement with the Taliban intersects with Pakistan’s hardened stance

                            on cross-border militancy, shaping a volatile regional balance.


        OUR BUREAU                                                                                                The Taliban’s return initially
                                                                                                              seemed like a win for Pakistan, given
        Kabul / New Delhi
                                                                                                              its long-standing ties with the group.
                hen the United Nations Se-                                                                    But recent events suggest otherwise.
                curity Council (UNSC) ap-                                                                     Kabul’s reluctance to act against mil-
        Wproved  a  travel  exemption                                                                         itants targeting Pakistan, combined
        for Taliban Foreign Minister Amir                                                                     with growing domestic unrest, has
        Khan Muttaqi to visit New Delhi from                                                                  soured ties. This has created an open-
        October 9 to 16, it underscored a new                                                                 ing for India to re-enter the Afghan
        phase in India’s cautious but delib-                                                                  equation.
        erate engagement with Afghanistan.                                                                        Muttaqi’s visit to New Delhi un-
        The decision comes at a time when                                                                     der UN exemption may therefore be
        the region is fraught with escalating                                                                 symbolic, but it sends a clear message:
        cross-border tensions, as Pakistan                                                                    India is willing to engage directly, re-
        grows increasingly frustrated with Ka-                                                                gardless of Pakistan’s objections.
        bul’s inability—or unwillingness—to
        rein in militants operating from Af-                                                                    A FRAGILE BALANCING ACT
        ghan soil.
            The development has placed In-                                                                         or India, the challenge lies in
        dia in a delicate position: attempting                                                                     engaging Afghanistan without
        to balance its humanitarian commit-                                                                   Fbeing seen as endorsing the Tal-
        ments and strategic interests in Af-                                                                  iban’s regressive policies. The interna-
        ghanistan, while navigating a complex                                                                 tional community remains critical of
        regional dynamic in which Pakistan   Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Afghanistan Acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir   the regime’s curbs on women’s rights,
        looms large.                                                                                          education, and freedoms. India’s dip-
                                                      Khan Muttaqi, in Dubai in January this year (ANI File Photo)  lomatic  moves must  therefore  tread

          INDIA’S AFGHAN CALCULUS                                                                             carefully, balancing humanitarian
                                          tion  and employment.  India’s out-  amplified these concerns at the Unit-  outreach with principled stands on
             or India, Afghanistan has al-  reach, therefore, has a dual purpose:   ed Nations General Assembly, blam-  rights and governance.
             ways been more than just a   providing relief to Afghans while en-  ing “externally sponsored terrorism”   For Pakistan, the dilemma is even
        Fneighbour—it is a test of re-    suring its own security interests are   for threatening Pakistan’s stability.   sharper. Its security concerns are le-
        gional  influence,  connectivity,  and   not compromised by terrorist groups   Islamabad has tightened border con-  gitimate—cross-border militancy has
        security. Since the Taliban’s return to   operating in the region.  trols and stepped up deportations of   taken a heavy toll. But its heavy-hand-
        power in 2021, New Delhi’s approach   PAKISTAN’S GROWING ANGER      Afghan migrants, drawing criticism   ed measures, including threats of
        has evolved from initial reluctance to                              from humanitarian organisations and   force  and mass deportations,  risk
        limited engagement. The UNSC’s ap-         hile India cautiously engag-  complaints from deportees facing dire   alienating Afghans further and wors-
        proval of Muttaqi’s visit represents a     es Kabul, Pakistan is hard-  conditions back home.         ening instability.
        pragmatic recognition that ignoring  Wening its stance. Islamabad       This escalating confrontation     India’s decision to host Amir
        the regime is no longer viable.   has accused Afghan nationals of car-  complicates India’s own calculations.   Khan Muttaqi underlines a shift from
            India has long championed peo-  rying out nearly 80 per cent of recent   On the one hand, Pakistan’s pressure   hesitation  to  cautious  engagement.
        ple-to-people ties with Afghanistan,   terror attacks inside its borders, par-  on the Taliban may open diplomat-  Pakistan’s frustration highlights the
        funding development projects, ed-  ticularly in the restive Khyber Pakh-  ic space for India. On the other, any   limits of its leverage over Kabul. To-
        ucation,  and  infrastructure.  Even   tunkhwa and tribal districts. The spike   deterioration in Afghan-Pakistan re-  gether, these moves underscore that
        after  the  Taliban  takeover,  it  quietly   in violence has forced Pakistan’s lead-  lations risks creating instability that   Afghanistan  remains  the  fulcrum  of
        resumed humanitarian aid, includ-  ership into a defensive posture.  could spill across borders.      South Asian geopolitics.
        ing food grains and medical supplies.   State Minister for Interior Talal   India’s outreach to Afghanistan   The coming weeks will reveal
        Hosting Muttaqi signals that New   Chaudhry, in a blunt warning, de-  is inevitably seen in Pakistan through   whether New Delhi’s outreach can
        Delhi is willing to explore diplomatic   clared that if talks with the Taliban   the prism of rivalry. Since the Cold   create a new channel of dialogue with
        channels, albeit without formally rec-  fail to stop cross-border terrorism,   War, Kabul has been a contested   the Taliban, and whether Islamabad’s
        ognising the Taliban government.  Pakistan would respond with “the lan-  space  for  influence  between  New   warnings translate into further con-
            The  stakes  are high.  Afghani-  guage of bullets.” His remarks reflect   Delhi and  Islamabad.  Pakistan  has   frontation. In either case, the triangle
        stan remains in humanitarian freefall,   not just anger but desperation, as mil-  historically sought strategic depth in   of  India,  Afghanistan,  and  Pakistan
        compounded recently by an unprece-  itant attacks increasingly target Paki-  Afghanistan, while India has invested   will  continue  to  define  the  region’s
        dented nationwide internet blackout   stani soldiers, policemen, and civilians.  in development projects as a means of   fragile security and its uncertain path
        and restrictions on women’s educa-    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif   gaining goodwill.               toward stability.


                                                               www.TheIndianEYE.com
   1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11