India's role in Afghanistan is constructive: US report

Lalit K Jha

Washington, May 28 (PTI) Dismissing Islamabad's
allegations that India is using its consulates in Afghanistan
to recruit anti-Pakistan insurgents and spread its influence
in the region, a US report said that New Delhi has played a
"constructive role" in the war-torn nation post-Taliban.

The Congressional Research Service (CRS), a research
wing of US Congress, in its latest report "Afghanistan:
Post-Taliban Governance, Security and US Policy," has said
that despite Pakistan's accusations many US observers believe
India's role in Afghanistan is constructive.

Appreciating India's role in development of
Afghanistan, the CRS said "India is the fifth largest single
country donor to Afghan reconstruction, funding projects worth
about USD 1.2 billion.

India, along with the Asian Development Bank, has
financed a USD 300 million project to bring electricity from
Central Asia to Afghanistan.

It has also renovated well-known Habibia High School
in Kabul and committed to a USD 25 million renovation of
Darulaman Palace as the permanent house for Afghanistan's
Parliament.

India has financed the construction of a road to the
Iranian border in remote Nimruz province and was helping the
Independent Directorate for Local Governance (IDLG) with its
efforts to build local governance organizations.

It is providing 1,000 scholarships every year for
Afghans to undergo higher education in India, the CRS, which
periodically prepares reports on various issues for the
lawmakers at their request, said.

However, Pakistan considers all this an effort by New
Delhi to deny it the strategic depth in Afghanistan.

"Pakistan says India is using its Embassy and four
consulates in Afghanistan to train and recruit anti-Pakistan
insurgents, and is using its reconstruction funds to build
influence there. Afghan officials have said they have evidence
that, to counter that influence, ISI agents were involved
in the last year's suicide bombing of Indian Embassy in
Kabul," the report said.

The CRS, in its report said that some people support
India's decision to deploy more security forces in Afghanistan
to protect its construction workers, diplomats, and
installations.

India reportedly had decided in last August to improve
security for its officials and workers in Afghanistan, but not
to send actual troops there, the report said.

The report further says that US officials in July last
had confronted Pakistan with the evidences that ISI was
actively helping Afghanistan militants, particularly the
Haqqani faction.

About Pakistan's policy in Afghanistan, the CRS said
it is heavily coloured by fears of its historic rival, India.

Pakistan viewed Taliban's regime as an edge over India
on providing a strategic depth and it apparently remains wary
that the current Afghan government may come under the sway of
India, the report said.

"Numerous militant groups, such as Laskhar-e-Tayyba
(Army of the Righteous) were formed in Pakistan to challenge
India's control of part of the disputed territories of Jammu
and Kashmir.

"Some observers believe Pakistan wants to retain the
ability to stoke these militants against India, even though
some of these militants are connected to and may be assisting
Islamist groups that are now challenging the stability of
Pakistan," it said. PTI LKJ
RKM
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