Regional Powerplay: Pakistan, India, Afghanistan

Description

The debate about the military withdrawal of NATO and ISAF forces after 2014 has increased fears
that Afghanistan may once again become a theatre for regional rivalries as in the 1990s. The
triangle between Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan is the most important one in the complex puzzle
of the various divergent and complementary political, security, and economic interests of
Afghanistan’s neighbours. Since the 1990s, Pakistan’s interest in Afghanistan is only a dependent
variable in its broader conflict with India. But Pakistan’s concept of strategic depth and the regional
power play vis-à-vis India and Afghanistan has failed and backfired after 9/11: On a global level,
the different strategic interests in Afghanistan and the clandestine support and tolerance of Afghan
Taliban have damaged Pakistan’s international reputation and strained relations with the United
States. On a regional level, the strategy to support militant groups in order to pursue its foreign pol
icy goals has not brought any long term success to either Kashmir or Afghanistan. Domestically,
the proliferation of militant groups has backfired to the detriment of Pakistan and created a
“Frankenstein monster” within its own society.