India planning to send 15,000 troops to Afghanistan

Diplomatic reports reaching here say that the Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is planning to rush to Afghanistan in an attempt to cash on the latest wave of terrorist attacks and make an official offer of sending Indian troops to defend Afghan Government leaders.

A reliable report also claimed that Mr. Ajit Doval had recently met with Afghan National Security Advisor Hanif Atmar in Russia a few days earlier and had asked Afghan government to deliver an official invitation to the Indian Government to dispatch Indian troops.

Reports reaching here from Kabul say that Afghanistan’s pro-Indian lobby had been trying to exploit the blast for its own gains and objectives and has increased anti-Pakistan propaganda despite the fact that Pakistanis had also become victims of Kabul blast.

Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid has strongly denied any involvement in the attack and said that Taliban leadership had issued instructions against targeting any civilian or civilian facilities. Afghan Talibans says it could be a conspiracy to pave the way for more foreign troops in Afghanistan.

Despite strong condemnation from Pakistan the pro-India Afghan leaders and lobbies including former Afghan intelligence chief Saleh Amrullah have started a campaign against Pakistan. On May 28, 2017, just two day before the Wednesday Kabul attack the Afghan Pajhwok news agency had reported that India could send its troops to Afghanistan under “UN mission”. The Pajhwok dispatch from Washington which was published in the Outlook Afghanistan had quoted a “prominent Indian defense expert” told a Washington audience on May 18, 2017 that “New Delhi could perhaps be persuaded to send up to a division of Indian troops – around 15,000 — to Afghanistan under a United Nations Peacekeeping mission.”

“If invited, if there is a UN peacekeeping force … it is my considered view that perhaps India could be persuaded to send up to a division, provided the logistics are in place, provided Pakistan’s so-called sensibilities can be put in place,” Brig® Gurmeet Kanwal, from the Institute for Defense Studies and Analysis was quoted as telling audience in a close-door round table at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Gurmeet Kanwal, who is known for his close links with Indian military establishment visited Washington DC and tried to convince President Donald Trump Administration to allocate India an official role in Afghanistan.

 pakobserver