India was left out of the conference on Afghanistan led by Russia. China and Pakistan were there. The three countries decided to go for a rapprochement with the Taliban, a terror group backed by Pakistan which is a threat to the democratically elected government inKabul. Delhi and Kabul protested to Moscow. So they were invited to the next conference last week along with Tehran. India and Afghanistan wanted the UNSC’s resolution on terrorist groups to be honoured. But Russia, Iran and Pakistan wanted negotiations with the Taliban. The main threat in the region is of course the Islamic State. Russia and Iran consider the IS to be a greater evil than the Taliban. There are 5000 Russian speaking fighters in the IS. When the war ends with Syria, the IS is expected to reach out toAfghanistan and the Central Asian Nations. Iran is a Shia state and strongly opposed to the IS. The IS, it is feared, will target the Shias in Afghanistan and then threaten Iran. The US seems to buy this point of view. All this will be to Pakistan’s advantage. India’s efforts to prove that Pakistan sponsors terrorism will be frustrated.
India however stands on firm ground. The dividing line between the IS and the Taliban is pretty thin. The IS inAfghanistan consists of ex-Taliban, local anti-Taliban factions, renegades and criminals. There is no point in calling the Taliban good terrorists. In 1990, they started a brutal rule and offered a base to Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda. They have killed a large number of Afghan troops and international forces. Delhi and Kabul should create global awareness of the threat to peace posed by the Taliban and Pakistan’s involvement in it.