Pakistan’s internal security advisor Sartaj Aziz is on a visit to Afghanistan to discuss the forthcoming visit of Afghan President Hamid Karzai to Pakistan. It will be the first high level interaction between the government of Nawaz Sharif and that of Hamid Karzai. It is common knowledge that Karzai has always leaned towards India and has often accused Islamabad of supporting the Taliban. Of course, Pakistan has shown clashing attitudes. The Pakistan army wishes to turn the heat on the Pakistani Taliban in Waziristan in NWFP but Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has shown signs of extending a hand of friendship to it. There is an increasing feeling among historians and analysts that after the US pull-out in 2014, the future of Afghanistan will partly be determined by the actions of Pakistan and India. William Dalrymple, a Scottish historian who is doing research in Delhi, feels that Afghanistan may be called a scene of proxy war between India and Pakistan.
Government of India sources have however made it clear that Delhi has no intention of expanding its role in Afghanistan. India is involved in the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan and its total assistance amounts to $ 1.5 billion. Aziz will parley with Hamid Karzai and other senior Afghan leaders to speed up the reconciliation process. Nawaz Sharif has already extended an invitation to President Karzai to visit Pakistan and a formal invitation will follow. India will closely watch the outcome of AfPak talks. Karzai is pro-India and has little trust in Pakistan. He would very much like to have India as an ally in North Afghanistan.
