Ex-Pakistan Ambassador: Taliban-India meeting a warning for Pakistan
Husain Haqqani, former Pakistani ambassador to Washington, has referred to the recent meeting between senior Taliban officials and India in Dubai as a lesson for Pakistani policymakers. Haqqani emphasized that Pakistani political operatives had believed that by supporting the Taliban, they would end India’s influence in Afghanistan.
On Wednesday, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with Indian Deputy Foreign Minister Vikram Misri in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. During the meeting, Muttaqi assured the Indian side that Afghanistan soil would not be used as a threat to India.
Husain Haqqani, the former Pakistani ambassador, posted images of the meeting on X/Twitter and described the event as a lesson for Pakistani policymakers.
He said, “The meeting between Vikram Misri, India’s foreign secretary, and the Taliban foreign minister should serve as a lesson for those Pakistani planners who believed for years that Taliban rule in Afghanistan would help Pakistan expel India or end its influence in Afghanistan.”
The Taliban-India diplomatic meeting took place amid official condemnation earlier this week by the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding Pakistani attacks on Afghanistan territory.
Pakistan had expressed dissatisfaction with the close relations between Kabul and Delhi and India’s influence in Afghanistan during the 20 years of Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani’s presidencies.
With the return of the Taliban to power, Islamabad celebrated this development, believing that it had achieved its “strategic depth” in Afghanistan through the Taliban’s victory.
Pakistan’s strategic depth included the establishment of an Islamist government in Kabul under Pakistan’s influence, the elimination of threats from India coming from Afghanistan, and the prevention of Kabul’s relations with Delhi.
However, analysts point to the escalating insecurity within Pakistan and the Taliban’s support for the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as evidence that Pakistan’s strategic depth policy has now become a strategic threat to the country.
The evolving dynamics between the Taliban, India, and Pakistan are reshaping the region’s political landscape. The shifting alliances and rising tensions highlight the challenges Pakistan faces in navigating its relationships with both Afghanistan and India.
These developments underscore the volatile situation in South Asia, the rivalry between India and Pakistan, and Afghanistan as the battleground. This approach not only escalates tensions but also deteriorates the situation, allowing for further breeding of extremism in the region.
The post Ex-Pakistan Ambassador: Taliban-India meeting a warning for Pakistan appeared first on Khaama Press.