The New York Times reports that Pakistan is proposing to the US to use its influence with the Taliban in return for some guarantee of influence in Kabul once US troops leave. (Are they leaving that soon?) This leads to the logical question of what exactly is Pakistan after in Afghanistan. This oft-repeated idea that Afghanistan gives Pakistan “strategic depth” in the event of an attack by India is nonsense. There would be no time in a war for any strategic depth to be had. Does Pakistan want to reestablish Afghanistan as a terror factory? If so, it is signing its own death warrant. So what exactly is it? The simple answer, and it’s always the same answer when it comes to Pakistan - a pavlovinan illogical reaction to India. Pakistan goes apoplectic at the sign of any Indian presence in Afghanistan for fear of being upstaged in a nonsensical existential competition (which in of itself is a joke given how different the two countries have become). Pakistan even went to the ludicrous extent of preventing the transit of Indian fortified biscuits for Afghan school children. Pakistan doesn’t much care whether India actually is building roads, hospitals or providing any kind of benefits to the Afghan people. It just can’t abide any Indian presence. So, lets say that the Pakistanis get what they want, and there is no Indian influence in Kabul (despite a millenia of relations). Then what? What exactly has Pakistan gained? Will its economy grow faster? Will its own tribal militants climb down? Will it rise into a modern secular republic? Pakistan’s perrenially short-sighted Generals need to ask themselves what happens if they get what they want. Then what?
Pakistan’s bid to preserve its influence in Afghanistan. To what end?
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Pakistan is as evil as the US. Nexus of these two go back several decades in history.
Pakistan is an willing pawn of the Anglo-Americans, which they do not wish to give up so soon.
Right now a grand bargaining is going on, and the result of the deal struck between Pakistan and the Americans will show exactly where India stands in American scheme of things, in the region.
This is good for India, which will help India to play its cards appropriately with the Americans.
At the end of the day, there are no soft options to deal with Pakistan, and India will be damned if its political leaders (Congress mother fu**ers) are hoping to outsource the nations security to the Americans.