Pakistan

WHY AFGHANISTAN LOVES INDIA AND DISLIKES PAKISTAN ?

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• published: 16 Oct 2016
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In this video, we look at how India and Pakistan have played completely different role in the rebuilding phase of Afghanistan. This video has been divided into 2 sections.  In the first section we will look at 3 different ways how India is cooperating with Afghanistan to meet its current challenges.   In the second section, we will look at 2 ways Pakistan is destabilizing Afghanistan.   Indo Afghan relation:   India and Afghanistan share a long history. During the Soviet-Afghan war (1979-89), India was the only South Asian nation to recognize the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. Over the past decade and a half, India and Afghanistan have seen their ties deepening — the process started with the Taliban government getting toppled in December 2001. BILATERAL TRADE India’s bilateral trade with Afghanistan stood at $684.47 million in 2014-15, an increase of 0.20 per cent over $683.10 million a year earlier, and 20.41 per cent higher than $568.44 million in 2010-11. India’s exports to Afghanistan in 2014-15 stood at $ 422.56 million, while its imports from that country were worth $261.91 million. Despite the lack of direct land access, India is the second-largest destination for Afghan exports.   DEFENSE: India shares a close bilateral relationship with Afghanistan and had signed a strategic partnership agreement in 2011. Here are few important instances:     1.       India has provided Afghanistan, 4 Mi-25s helicopters The Mi-25s will replace Afghanistan’s aging Mi-35 attack helicopters and provide a much-needed boost to Afghanistan’s air support capabilities in the ongoing struggle against the Taliban across the country. Mi-25 is a close-air support aircraft armed with a YakB 4 barreled, 12.7mm, built-in, flexibly mounted machine gun, as well as rocket and grenade launchers. It can be deployed against ground troops including armored and slow moving air targets. It can also serve as a low-capacity troop transport (up to eight paratroopers), and be used for medical evacuation missions. The helicopter is thus well-suited for the AAF’s role in helping the Afghan National Army take Taliban positions with close-air support. 2.       Apart from this specific assists, India has provided Afghan security personal with different light equipment’s like machine guns etc. 3.       India has also been training Afghan forces in counter insurgency operations. Indian Army is also training Afghan women to serve in the Afghan National Army (ANA). India has so far given financial assistance worth over $2 billion to Afghanistan and has been involved in massive developmental efforts in the war-torn country. Here are 2 most important examples:   1.       Salma Dam, an ambitious $300 million hydroelectric and irrigation dam located on Harirod River in Chisti district of Herat, is a flagship development project sponsored by India.   With a 20km-long and 3.7km-wide reservoir, which has a storage capacity of 640 million cubic metres, Salma Dam can irrigate 80,000 acres of farmland and generate 43 MW of electricity.     2.       As a tribute to the growing friendship between the two neighboring countries, the Afghan government decided to rechristen the dam as the Afghanistan-India Friendship Dam. On December 25, 2015, during a state visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the new Parliament building was inaugurated along with President Ashraf Ghani.     Pakistan: AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN are neighboring countries. Afghan Pakistan relations have been blowing hot and cold.  Lets look into the 2 main issues.   Taliban   In recent years, the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan has arguably become the chief source of bilateral tensions. Kabul has repeatedly accused Pakistan’s security establishment of destabilizing Afghanistan through its support of the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network, including through the provision of sanctuaries in FATA and elsewhere in Pakistan.     The Pakistani army has been described as the "Godfather" of the Taliban. That might understate its influence Afghan President Ashraf Ghani recently demanded that Pakistan either take military action against Taliban commanders on its soil or arrest them and hand them over to Kabul.     Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said Pakistan must allow his country direct access to India through Wagah border in Lahore.   At present, Pakistan allows Afghan trucks carrying goods meant for India only up to its last checkpoint at Wagah and not to the Indian checkpoint at Attari which is just less than a kilometer away.   CONCLUSION: It is very clear from this video that, India is helping Afghanistan get up to its feet and Pakistan on the other hand is trying drive Afghanistan back.