File photo of President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai (L) shaking hands with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (R) during a meeting in New Delhi. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
India has provided billions of dollars of aid to Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, and is keen to ensure that no radical regime takes power in Kabul after international troops pull out in 2014.
Afghanistan's request "will include all kinds of assistance from India in order to strengthen our military and security institutions," Karzai's presidential spokesperson, Aimal Faizi, told reporters in Kabul.
Karzai, set to start his two-day trip to New Delhi late Monday, will hold talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the future of the war-torn country and also meet Indian President Pranab Mukherjee.
Discussions will cover a potential arms deal between the two countries, an Indian foreign ministry official told AFP in New Delhi, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"India is ready to meet any request that would strengthen Afghan security institutions. He (Karzai) is visiting India to discuss a potential arms deal," the foreign ministry official said.
But any Indian activity in Afghanistan triggers sensitivities in neighbouring rival Pakistan, which fears losing influence in Afghanistan.
India has been training a limited number of Afghan military officers for years at its military institutions, but has provided little weapons assistance except for some vehicles.
Earlier this month, Afghanistan's ambassador to India said the country needs India's help with equipment and weapons and was hoping to boost defence ties.
In 2011 India and Afghanistan began a "strategic partnership" aimed at deepening security and economic links.
COMMENTS (16)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
If China can transfer nuclear bombs and its delivery systems to Pakistan with the sole purpose to pin India down in South Asia then why can't India provide some pieces of military hardware to Afghanistan to pin Pakistan down? If Pakistani Generals are kept busy across the Durand line then surely there would be more peace across the Radcliffe line.
@Sajid Iqbal yeh dude, we used them in 1971, now you remember, don't you?
India need to find more buyers to compensate for it's hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Nuke Subs, Planes, small and large Arms and Nuke power plants it recently bought from U.S and the West. Definitely, just by scaring Afghanistan about Pakistan will get her a piece of the pie of foreign aid Afghan is getting for it's poor infrastructure development by diverting it toward the sale of it's arms. Afghanistan should worry more about developing local industry and education than any invasion from anywhere. What a friend!
@Sajid Iqbal: Don't you know, India had a back office deal with China. China bought that technology from India so that they could in turn sell it to Pakistan.
@ someone...Indian build up of chabhahar is not going to change anything on the ground...Pakistan already has access to Europe through RCD highway(Iran and Turkey) which be used to circumvent Afghanistan completely by extending it Turkmanistan. It will add extra miles but it is not going to affect anything terribly. Afghans need access to sea not Pakistan.
China is investing in Gawadar with sole purpose of exporting minerals from Afghan mines. It will open up an even shorter route to sea for Afghans. So what India is going to do dig a canal through Iran to Arabian sea?
India cant compete with Pakistan's geographic advantage no matter how hard it tries. Only thing Indian can do is to poisen the relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan the way it used to before.
As far as your bluster on Kashmir is concerned then you need to read something called Operation Brasstack when in 1986 india brought its entire army on Bahwalpur border with aim of making Pakistan abandon Kashmir or deal on India's terms. The gambit failed miseably.
@ someone... well you need read some history. US came in 80s after the Soviet invasion. While border issue lingers since 47. After Pakistan provided US the base in 50s, Soviets seriously started funding and arming Afghan army.At one point Afghanistan almost invaded Pakistan. That was the time when Pakistan Army was in much weaker state. If Afghans with backing of mighty Red army couldnt do anything to change this border what they can do now. Bottomline Afghans are playing a game of chickens which is not going end well for them.
Instead of providing good governance and building a viable economy, Karzai has built a corrupt Narco-state where drug lords control every facet of Afghan economy. On the top of that this nacent economy is being burdended with unsustainable defense expediture on the pretext of tension with Pakistan.
Pakistan need not to panic about this so called defense deal as this costly misadventure is going to hurt Afghanistan than Pakistan. Afghans dont realise that it will cost them hundreds of billions dollars and decades before they can assemble an army capable of fighting Pakistan. Instead of wasting the generous foreign aid they could use it build their wartorn country since foreign aid is not going last forever.
Time to turn the tables !!!
Karzai has clearly said that he's not going to accept Durand line as an international border, and many Afghans continue to call Pakistan a fake, client and planted state on Social media. So here's the deal...Nawaz Sharif will make sure that defence sector doesn't get too much strength and quite lately it has been revealed that (Late) Dhirubhai Ambani intervened with Bill Clinton to save Sharif's life back in 2000. So NS will try its level best not to offend Indians and prosper his own businesses. For the rest, we wonder whatever varying plans and theories are in-store
@Asfandyar: I think you are giving more credit to Pakistan army than it deserve. Russians had to re treat because of US dollars and Afghan Mujahideen. Pakistan neither has money nor muscle to counter anything. But it could be a serious challenge for Pakistan if India gains depth in Afghanistan because it might pursue Afghan government to block Pakistan's transit to Europe if needed. Also, while India is working aggressively with Iran for CharBahar port to gain access to Afghanistan and central Asia and bypassing Pakistan.If that becomes realty in next few years, Pakistan is going to loose its edge of strategic geographic location.The only option for Pakistan is either to keep feeding Taliban but in turn have serious consequences of radicalization of Pakistan society or mend its way with India but that may mean compromising on Kashmir. Tough choices.
@Asfandyar: India will get involved only to the extent her interests are not harmed by Pakistan or anyone. Its is Pakistan who has been playing spoiler games on the behalf of USA and not India. Days of those games are now over. US and Britain don't have the type of money they poured last time in Afghanistan. Pakistan hardly have many options except to cooperate regionally. Close down terror factories and behave like a normal nation.
@Asfandyar: Dude - apparently you don't know who blew up the Indian embassy in Kabul. There is only one country with sinister plans, albeit with a pathetic success rate.
India should be vigilant and not try to get sucked in this Karzai's sinster attempt to pit Pakistan against India in Afghanistan. Surely Indian security establishment would be tempted to use this opportunity but they need to realise that Moscow, under soviet times, has tried to use Afghan army against Pakistan but it didnt work then and it is not going to work this time. Only casuality would be chances of any peace between Pakistan and India
India has a chance to sell those out of date Russian arms.
Ahh yes Karzai
Looks like Karzai is worried about a possible Indo-Pak rapprochement....