Shekhar Gupta, the chief editor of the Indian Express, in his latest Saturday commentary(November 19), entitled:"Get out, leave Af to Pak", has championed our neighbour's cause, urging the govt of India to "get out" of Afghanistan along with the scheduled exit of Americans, to enable Pakistan to achieve its dream of geographical and strategic depth. Is it'nt a most appalling, bizarre, cynically argued piece of advice, coming from a leading Indian editor who should know that India has only a benign presence in that country, and that too on the invitation of the Afghan govt and its people? We are not a colonial or an expansionist power. On the other hand, Pakistan had always wanted Afghanistan as its ward and tried its hand to attain its objective through the Taliban, a radical, Islamist band of students(Taliban) spawned in Pakistani madrasas. With the US and Pakistani help, the Taliban captured power in Kabul and imposed a ruthless and tyrannical form of sharia regime there. In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist assault on the US, the American armed forces intervened and ousted the Taliban govt. The US govt. called upon the Pakistani military ruler Gen Musharraf to choose between the Taliban and the US and he had no choice but to fall in the US line.
Since the Pakistan govt became the US ally against terrorism, it was hoping that once the US forces quit the scene, it would give them the opportunity to cash in. In 2014, the US forces are scheduled to withdraw from Afghanistan and the way will open for Pakistanis to fill the power vacuum to dominate a conflict-ridden, war-torn nation with the help of their Afghan Taliban allies. In this situation, Pakistanis are hostile to any Indian presence in Afghanistan. The whole world knows that we are not a colonial power but a soft one which is more interested in helping a poor neighbour with infrastructure projects like building roads, hospitals, schools, etc., as well as offering training facilities to Afghans. Our historic ties with the country go back to ancient times. Since our friendly assistance is widely popular with the Afghan people, the Pakistanis are deeply worried.
In this backdrop, it is incredible that a major Indian newspaper is batting for our adversary and asking us to leave that unfortunate country to the mercy and ravages of a military-dominated regime, making us more vulnerable to its conspiracies alongwith its great and reliable patron, China, who, in any case, hates our emergence as a rival Asian power.
Since the Pakistan govt became the US ally against terrorism, it was hoping that once the US forces quit the scene, it would give them the opportunity to cash in. In 2014, the US forces are scheduled to withdraw from Afghanistan and the way will open for Pakistanis to fill the power vacuum to dominate a conflict-ridden, war-torn nation with the help of their Afghan Taliban allies. In this situation, Pakistanis are hostile to any Indian presence in Afghanistan. The whole world knows that we are not a colonial power but a soft one which is more interested in helping a poor neighbour with infrastructure projects like building roads, hospitals, schools, etc., as well as offering training facilities to Afghans. Our historic ties with the country go back to ancient times. Since our friendly assistance is widely popular with the Afghan people, the Pakistanis are deeply worried.
In this backdrop, it is incredible that a major Indian newspaper is batting for our adversary and asking us to leave that unfortunate country to the mercy and ravages of a military-dominated regime, making us more vulnerable to its conspiracies alongwith its great and reliable patron, China, who, in any case, hates our emergence as a rival Asian power.
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