AFGHAN President Hamid Karzai was in India at a crucial time for him as his second Presidential term is nearing its end. Elections to choose his successor are due in April 2014. Significantly, it more or less coincides with US withdrawal from Afghanistan. It is also a time for the Taliban to call the shots, backed by the Pakistan army. The UPA in Delhi is currently in a mess with the signal defeat of the Congress in four Assembly elections. Parliamentary elections in India are scheduled for April-May next year and the UPA government looks toothless. However, whatever the political situation in Delhi, Indo-Afghan relations need a boost. Karzai is beset with multiple challenges, especially the growing rift with Washington. He is reluctant to sign bilateral security arrangements making for residual US military presence in his country post 2014. The Obama administration’s trust in Karzai has as a result been impaired. Karzai feels that a retreating US will be more dependent on the goodwill of the Pakistan army. Washington for its part looks upon Karzai as part of the Afghan problem.
Hamid Karzai is putting greater emphasis on military cooperation with India. It is part of his strategy to diversify Kabul’s defence equations. India’s strategic partnership accord with Afghanistan signed in 2011 enjoins upon it an obligation to offer military help to the latter. Karzai wants to expand Afghanistan’s defence engagement with India with Delhi supplying heavy equipment to it. Admittedly, India is apprehensive about the Pakistan army’s reach out to Afghanistan post 2014 but it is also guarded about supplying weapons to Pakistan. It should pursue a two-pronged policy of strengthening relations with Pakistan and then sending military hardware to Afghanistan.
