Taliban return to Afghanistan stirs up rivalry between India and Pakistan – archyworldys

India weakened, Pakistan strengthened? The return of the Taliban to Kabul marks an upheaval in regional balances in South Asia. For decades the two sworn enemies have made Afghanistan the backyard of their rivalries in order to establish themselves as the dominant power.

For Islamabad, which exploits its proximity to Afghanistan and the “strategic depth” that this country represents in its eyes vis-à-vis the Indian rival in the event of a new conflict with its neighbor, the triumph of the Taliban is an indisputable victory. For New Delhi, a staunch ally of presidents Hamid Karzai, then Ashraf Ghani, this is a strategic setback. The Indians have invested, since 2001, 3 billion dollars (2.6 billion euros) to help the reconstruction of the country through the construction of buildings, roads, dams, power lines, clinics, schools, thus becoming Afghanistan’s fifth donor.

The Pakistani Prime Minister considers the arrival of the Taliban as a revenge on history, because the military intervention of the Americans in Afghanistan, after the attacks of September 11, 2001, had caused Pakistan to lose its rear base, and allowed the India to strengthen its ties with Afghanistan and the United States. As soon as Kabul was taken, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan rejoiced live on television that the new masters of Afghanistan had “Broken the chains of slavery” with the West.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the contrary, has walled in silence. He just mentioned the subject, in a cryptic way, during a trip to Gujarat on August 20, on the occasion of the reconstruction of a temple. “Destructive forces and people who follow the ideology of creating empires by terror may dominate for a while, but their existence is not permanent, as they cannot suppress humanity forever,” he warned.

“A decisive moment” for India

India has closed its four consulates, in Kandahar, Mazar-e Charif, Herat and Jalalabad, as well as its embassy in Kabul. The evacuation operations of its nationals continued again this weekend, in difficult conditions.

“India is faced with a double difficulty, summarizes Gilles Boquérat, associate professor at the Foundation for Strategic Research. It has lost a friend and an ally, and, conversely, its Pakistani and Chinese rivals will try to extend their influence. Islamabad can hope to develop commercial ties with Central Asia through Afghanistan, consolidate its political weight in the region, and China can take advantage of the vacuum left by the Americans and develop its infrastructure projects. “ Is India’s influence seriously damaged? “The fall of Kabul is a defining moment for New Delhi and it must rethink its regional strategies and options. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have many ”, Happymon Jacob analysis, associate professor at Jawaharlal-Nehru University.

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