Although Afghan President Hamid Karzai stated that the Strategic Partnership Agreement between Afghanistan and India will not affect ties with Pakistan, it is clear that this has already started being perceived with suspicion.
The dynamics of the region, the tension between the two neighbours and the US-led war on terror could possibly lead to further obstacles aggravated by this pact.
Karzai said that Pakistan is a “twin brother” and India is a “great friend”. He also said that he doesn’t expect this relationship to go beyond Afghanistan and India. However, there remains too much distrust between the “twin brothers” to actually believe various statements issued by each other’s offices.
Can Pakistan continue to focus on working mutually with Afghanistan to battle militancy as opposed to investing itself further in the realm of mistrust?
Although this agreement between Pakistan’s two neighbours is nothing new, will it cause further tension in its own relationship with these nations?
Most of all, will this agreement with India really have no impact on the Pak-Afghan relationship?
Dawn.com invites its readers to give their views and suggestions.
India has a very ancient and a strong spiritual relationship with Afghanistan and its people. It is beyond any religious sentiments. How can we ever forget the contribution to India by the great Indian ruler from Bihar, an Afghan origin, Sher Shah Suri who restored India’s glory and rightful place in the world by defeating tyrant rulers in the mid-19th century and that too in a short span of five years. The new India-Afghanistan Security Agreement is expected to strengthen this very old and ancient relationship.
Just for argument sake, let us ask what will happen if Afganistan enters in to strategic agreement with Pakistan and has it’s security forces trained. In no time ASF will learn how to overthrow civilian government and establish military rule. This IS what Pakistan military brass practised for 40 out of 60 years of Pakistan’s history. India is a safe bet any day.
Pakistan needs to grow up and stop pushing the panic button at everything Indian. Alliances and strategic partnerships are formed across the globe everyday. Pakistan has strategic alliances with both the USA and China. Let Afghanistan choose its friends.
Although I don’t believe in this “twin brother” crap in relations between nations, I think Pakistan cannot afford to any confrontation with Afghanistan. Both countries are interdependent in many ways. But, most importantly we need some nation-building to do. We wouldn’t any outside enemy if inside we are moving in opposite directions.
India’s help to Afghanistan should always be appreciated by Pakistan. But on the other hand, India’s relation with its neighbours like China , Pakistan and Nepal hangs big question mark over the dynamics of this new relationship. Ground reality is that Karzai’s government does not represent sovereign Afghanistan so Pakistan objection is justified. What is important for Pakistan and India is to show sincerity in building Afghanistan as a sovereign state first. Both countries are looking for short term gains but will end up having big losses. For Pakistan this will mean more terrorism and for India it would be losing its investment.
Afghanistan is no friend of Pakistan. Conspiring with your enemy, Afghanistan cannot be your friend or brother and should not be trusted. Pakistan should seal it’s border with Afghanistan and force all the refugees to go back to Afghanistan. Retaliate with full force if attacked from Afghanistan side. It’s time that Pakistan need to look for it’s interests in region and their policies should reflect that. Long live Pakistan.
I agree. If Pakistan seals its Afgan border, it will do good to Afganistan. The terrorist fighters who frequently travel between the border will be cut off.
Pakistan and India should also sign some economic and scientific agreements then you see what type of voices echoe in the western world and eastern side.Unhappiness in west and happiness in south easr asia.It will be overall good for the sane people of world.
If we had acted like a brother to them, the Afghans would not have to look to their friends! What is happening here is our own fault. Okay, so we attack India because we want Kashmir. Why exactly are we sending people (terrorists? militants? freedom fighters?) to Afghanistan? I don’t get it. Let us solve our own problems at home instead of creating problems for others abroad.
If US and NATO with all their money and might could not achieve something, how can India achieve it. It does not make any sense to me. In my opinion this pact is a futile gesture and has no impact on the ground.
I feel proud answering this and realizing that India has given afghantistan something which is beyond money, NATO and US had attacked afghanistan to take revenge and though india supported it but has not sent its foces. instead it silently helped building afghanistan for a common afghani who remembers and understands how much difference has India made to them. And this support of a common Afghani cannot be bought by money or some religious teaching
@ Kanak …. Afghanistan is not a sovereign state as yet. It is still under foreign occupation and Karzai is a mere puppet. He rushed to India to find an ally in the reigion to secure his rule over Kabul(yeha just the city of Kabul). Who controls rest of Afghaznistan ……God knows better. As per media its warlords, Taliban and other factions.
It is about time India, Pakistan and Afganistan work togather with a clear understanding of their obligations as neighbours. We have lot in common with India more so perhaps than Afganistan. Lets give a new dimension to our relationship with India and see how India receiprocates. Talban are most unrealible and have a reprehensive agenda which could hurt Pakistan in the long run.
well said
It is truly sad that the region cannot shed its past and move on! There is so much distrust and animosity at the Government-to-Government level and yet not at the peoples level. Can an Arab Spring type of movement, across the entire subcontinent start spontaneously!
There is nothing unusual in this development. Afghanistan does not trust Pakistan. On the other hand, they have nothing to fear and everything to gain from India, which is rather far away from Afghan borders. and unlikely to create any troubles for Afghanistan.
On foreign policy and diplomacy fronts, Pakistan sides with China, Sri Lanka, BNP in Bangladesh and elements in Nepal, encircling India from all sides. Why can India not do the same?
Politics a chess game. In that game there are no ‘twin brothers’ or ‘great friends’. Pakistan had experienced this this in the past and is seeing it presently. In a chess game the winner is the one who can corner the adversary. Check mate! That is what is happening around Pakistan.
By the way chess was invented by Chanikya, Indian economist around 400 BCE
The SPA between India and Afghanistan must not be viewed as anti Pakistan. India is committed to help Afghanistan build it’s institutions and infrastructure so that another radical regime does not come to power in Afghanistan.
In some ways Pakistan should ask themselves whether their policies are really winning them friends in Afghanistan.
What is wrong – Pakistan is a twin brother and India is a great friend? We need life not talibans and fundamentalists. We need peace and prosperity, employment, industrial and economic development, education, hospitals, roads, new highways etc. which India is providing in Afghanistan.
Exactly !!!
Certainly in an ideal world it is always good to be friendly with neighnours. However history has shown India to be opportunistic, with dubious motives and self interest. The current situation in afpak suits India very well. The timing of this pact by Americs’s stooge is also significant. Sadly when our leadership does not inspire confidence in us, how can it with other countries.
“history has shown India to be opportunistic, with dubious motives and self interest”
all countries are opportunistic with dubious motives and self-interest – you don’t think this applies to Pakistan also??
This SPA between the said “Great Friend” is actually a game of India. As today former President Musharraf issued a statement saying then India wants to suppress the economy and hold of Pakistan in SA, Pakistan and Afghanistan should, both, stop cross words and instead of mistrust, a friendly and supportive environment should be created to deal with the open threats for twin-brothers.
Pakistan should also think of such an agreement with Afghanistan and normalise ties with India so the trade between these three countries progress and helps its people to get rid of poverty. Pakistan should not believe in China as they are doing as the Chinese foreign policy belives in expansionism which is not good for Pakistan too. They captured the whole Pakistani Market so what the pakistani industrial houses woould do in future.
Ten years back they used to say India and Pak are brothers from the same mothers twin & see now where we are?
Indo pak was a zero sum game for all countries. If Presidents planned to come to either of the countries they would visit both.
Look now where we are –
They are saying Pak and Afghanistan are brothers? Seriously?
Presidents do unilateral trips of India.
Well said Yassir. I remember in the mid 1980s, at the time Pakistan’s per capita income was nearly 40% higher than India. Today, it’s 25% below India. If Pakistan wants this gap to grow, it will continue on its present course. if however, it wants to prosper along with the entire region, then the State of Pakistan should change its mindset and start listening to people like Yassir.
why is it such a big deal whether the US president visited both countries or one? US presidents have unilaterally visited Afgahanistan without coming elsewhere…how does it matter.
Well it should matter if they have something concrete to achieve..why else should one bother?
The rich and powerful do not move about without self-interests. If interests are aligned well and good…if not fine! One does not have to play up to super power tunes!!
Afghanistan is a landlocked country; poor GDP; with no international boundary disputes. Why Afghanistan needs army? Army is burden on tax payers and civilian population. It is a white elephant. It is in the best interest of Afg. to stay neutral and pay more attention for GDP. This policy of signing pacts will not bring any peace or prosperity but only misery ; death and destructions. Do Pakistani policy makers live in ALICE IN WONDERLAND. Is Mr. Karzai naive?
Afghanistan does have a boundary dispute with Pakistan.
Afghanistan does not recognize the Durand Line and claims a large part of Pakistan. Please refer Wikipedia.
Looks like the History of the advent of Taliban is not well read…otherwise this statement will not come. The birth and rise of Taliban in the post Soviet scenario is well documented and the role of Pakistani establishment in that is well documented as well. Its just that at that time the US looked the other way due to various reasons including interests of Uni Cal.
with so much of militancy and bloody history, how can a country not want a strong and united security force?! In fact, if the Afgahan state does not strengthen itself with a stable and interference free representation in its government, next time around, that country will disintegrate. That would surely be something that Pakistan does not want.
The need is trust, peace, stability and inclusive growth…but it looks as distant as ever in that region
It’s well said that this is just an arrangement between two sovereign countries and that Pakistan can not decide what Afghanistan should do. On same token Pakistan should abolish the Afghan trade agreement and mine its international boarder with Afghanistan. This is in Pakistan’s security and economic interest and no one should have any right to object.
Pakistan has ample problem it needs to attend to immediately rather worry about what others are doing.
Keeping in mind the recent visit of Pakistani minister of commerce with handful of business delegates to India and talks between foreign secretaries of both the countries, it seems that the relationship between once arch-rivals have taken a u-turn.They are now talking about cross border trade, easy visa regimes, and improved communication and transportation networks. India now is no bigger threat to Pakistan security as it was once, terrorism have taken its place. Pakistan shouldn’t pay heed to these talk, instead should focus on rooting out terrorism for its own security and stability of region.