New York/New Delhi, Sep 23 (Inditop.com) With the results of the Afghan elections still uncertain, India has pitched in for a “political settlement” by the Afghan people in the war-ravaged nation and warned about the continuing links between Pakistani spy agency ISI and the Afghan Taliban.
India’s growing influence in Afghanistan, however, came in for a close scrutiny from General Stanley McChrystal, commander of the US and coalition forces in Afghanistan, who cautioned in an internal report to Pentagon that it cold “exacerbate” regional tensions and encourage Pakistani “counter-measures” in Afghanistan or India.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, India’s External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna warned against external interference in Afghanistan’s political process and pitched for a political settlement.
“India doesn’t believe that war could be a solution for solving any problem and it applies to Afghanistan also. I think there could be a political settlement. I think we should strive towards a political settlement,” Krishna said in the interview.
“India is an optimistic nation. We believe a solution can be found,” he said.
“If there are internal differences within Afghanistan I think the people of Afghanistan, the leaders of Afghanistan will sort it out by themselves,” Krishna maintained.
“Afghanistan as a nation has to grow. They have come through a process of holding elections. I think giving democracy a try, they have succeeded. I think we should support them,” he added.
Krishna, however, did not explain the contours of the political settlement amid speculation about the US’ keenness to do a deal with the so-called moderate Taliban to co-opt them into the political mainstream.
“Our stand on the Taliban remains unchanged. There is no good Taliban or bad Taliban just as there are no good or bad terrorists,” the minister contended.
Alluding to India’s multifarious reconstruction activities in Afghanistan, Krishna said:”India’s role in Afghanistan is to help them to stabilize on their infrastructure development. That’s our immediate concern.”
India has pledged $1.2 billion for a host of reconstruction projects in Afghanistan ranging from roads and bridges to power transmission lines and grassroots training.
“That is the reason why we were asked to come to Afghanistan. We are building roads, we are building school buildings and we are building transmission lines,” Krishna said.
He, however, downplayed reports of electoral fraud in Afghanistan and pointed to the ambiguous verdict of US election in Florida in 2000. “It happens in every election, (that the results are) questioned,” Krishna said.
Krishna’s remarks came amid reports of fraud and rigging in Afghan presidential elections. A preliminary tally has President Hamid Karzai leading with 54 percent of the vote, followed by Dr Abdullah Abdullah with 27.7 per cent of the vote.
A run-off between Karzai and Abdullah may be a way out of the political crisis in Afghanistan.
Krishna also rejected suggestions that India’s growing involvement in Afghanistan is designed to encircle Pakistan, a fear often voiced by some sections in Islamabad. These circles resent India’s growing activities in Afghanistan, saying it will deprive Pakistan of strategic depth in Afghanistan. “I think that is a baseless allegation,” Krishna said.
The minister, however, accused Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of playing a disruptive role in the Taliban insurgency by continuing to provide aid to the Afghan Taliban to complicate the military situation there.
“They are a tandem. They are still together,” Krishna said, suggesting the Pakistan government has been unable to break ties between its spy agency and the Taliban in Afghanistan.
In remarks that have annoyed some officials in India, Gen. McChrystal, said India’s growing influence in violence-torn Afghanistan did not bode well for its stability.
“Indian political and economic influence is increasing in Afghanistan, including significant development efforts and financial investment. In addition, the current Afghan government is perceived by Islamabad to be pro-Indian,” said McChrystal, who has demanded an additional surge of 40,000 troops.
“While Indian activities largely benefit the Afghan people, increasing Indian influence in Afghanistan is likely to exacerbate regional tensions and encourage Pakistani countermeasures in Afghanistan or India,” McChrystal at .
Pakistan has repeatedly objected to India having four consulates in Afghanistan at Mazar-e-Sharif, Herat, Kandahar and Jalalabad, in addition to the embassy in Kabul, saying these are used to spy on Islamabad.
India had blamed the ISI for the July 7, 2008 attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul that killed 58 people, including an Indian Army brigadier, an Indian diplomat and two Indian security personnel.
