Old rivalries between India and Pakistan are driving a shift in regional ties, with New Delhi courting Afghanistan's Taliban while Islamabad befriends the new leaders of post-revolutionary Bangladesh.
NEW DELHI — Old rivalries between India and Pakistan are driving a shift in regional ties, with New Delhi courting Afghanistan's Taliban while Islamabad befriends the new leaders of post-revolutionary Bangladesh .
Diplomatic dynamics in South Asia are rooted in long-running distrust between the region's two most populous nations.Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan — carved out of the subcontinent at the chaotic end of British colonial rule in 1947 — have fought multiple wars and remain bitter foes.The rivalry shows no sign of abating, with New Delhi denying in January it had launched covert operations to kill anti-Indian militants on Pakistani soil.'You can't have snakes in your backyard and expect them to only bite your neighbors,' Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal told reporters in dismissing the allegations.Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have also worsened since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul nearly four years ago.Islamabad has accused Taliban authorities of failing to rein in militants they say are using Afghan territory to stage attacks that have killed thousands of Pakistani security personnel.Pakistan launched deadly airstrikes in Afghanistan border regions in December, with subsequent cross-border exchanges of fire.The Taliban's austere interpretation of Islamic law seems at first glance an unlikely pairing for the Hindu nationalism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but India has nonetheless moved to exploit the opportunity.'India has been pursuing this path quite consistently for quite some time,' international relations professor Hassan Abbas of the National Defense Uni-versity in Washington told AFP.'They don't want the Taliban to give space to any group that is going to ultimately be a bigger threat to India,' he said, adding that the prospect of 'annoy-ing Pakistan' was also appealing for New Delhi.'Want to do more'India's top career diplomat, Vikram Misri, met with Taliban Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi in Dubai in January.Jaiswal described the meeting as the 'highest level of engagement' yet, adding that New Delhi was determined to 'strengthen our longstanding relation-ship with the people of Afghanistan.'Muttaqi had, in turn, 'expressed his hope for the expansion of relations,' a spokesman for his ministry said.Jaiswal said it was agreed at the meeting to 'promote the use' of India's $370 million development of Iran's Chabahar container port 'for supporting trade and commercial activities' to landlocked Afghanistan.Chabahar is just west of Pakistan's Gwadar port, which is considered a cornerstone of the infrastructure expansion of China's Belt and Road Initiative in Pakistan.India has long been wary of China's growing regional clout and the world's two most populous countries compete for influence in South Asia, despite a recent diplomatic thaw.The Times of India said in an editorial after the Dubai meeting that New Delhi's 'quiet yet deliberate engagement' with the Taliban was reshaping strate-gic regional ties.'Despite not officially recognizing the Taliban government, India understands the importance of maintaining a foothold in Afghanistan,' the newspaper wrote.'The move also aligns with India's broader regional strategy, which seeks to counter China's Belt and Road Initiative and its influence in neighboring Paki-stan,' it said.'Enemy of my enemy'At the same time, old enemies Pakistan and Bangladesh now speak of 'friendly' ties.Pakistan and Bangladesh were once one nation but split in a brutal 1971 war, with Bangladesh then drawing closer to India.However, long-time Bangladeshi premier Sheikh Hasina was ousted in an August 2024 revolution, fleeing by helicopter to her old ally India, where she has defied Dhaka's extradition requests to face charges including mass murder.Relations between India and Bangladesh's new government have been frosty since then, allowing Islamabad and Dhaka to slowly rebuild ties.The first cargo ship in decades to sail directly from Pakistan to Bangladesh successfully unloaded its containers in the port of Chittagong in November.Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus also met with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in December, saying he had 'agreed to strengthen relations.'Top Bangladeshi army commanders later visited Pakistan, discussing training program and praising the 'friendly relationship' between the nations.Dhaka University professor Amena Mohsin told AFP that the sudden closeness reflected one of the oldest dictums in international diplomacy.'The enemy of my enemy is my friend,' she said.
Please follow us on Google to support us SOUTHASIA INDIA PAKISTAN TALIBAN BANGLADESH
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
India, Bangladesh Exchange Imprisoned Fishermen Amid Diplomatic TensionsIndia and Bangladesh have begun the repatriation of 185 imprisoned fishermen despite strained diplomatic ties. The exchange, primarily driven by humanitarian concerns, involves 95 Indian fishermen being handed over by Bangladesh and 90 Bangladeshi fishermen being released by India.
Read more »
Bangladesh Issues Second Arrest Warrant for Exiled Leader Sheikh HasinaA Bangladeshi court has issued a second arrest warrant for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently living in exile in India. The warrant pertains to her alleged role in enforced disappearances that occurred during her 15-year tenure.
Read more »
Bangladesh Court Issues Second Arrest Warrant for Exiled Ex-Leader HasinaA Bangladeshi court has issued a second arrest warrant for exiled former leader Sheikh Hasina, this time for her alleged role in enforced disappearances. The warrant comes in addition to an existing one charging Hasina with crimes against humanity. The charges stem from her 15-year tenure, which saw widespread human rights abuses, including mass detention and extrajudicial killings of political opponents. The court also issued warrants for 11 others, including Hasina's military adviser and other law enforcement officials. Bangladesh has requested India to extradite Hasina, but the Indian government has not responded.
Read more »
Bangladesh Court Acquitts Khaleda Zia in Corruption Case, Paving Way for Election RunBangladesh's Supreme Court acquitted former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in her last corruption case, allowing her to potentially run in upcoming elections. Zia, a longtime political rival of current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2018 for embezzling funds intended for an orphanage trust. This acquittal removes a legal barrier to her political participation.
Read more »
Pakistan ex-PM gets 14 years in graft caseRAWALPINDI, Pakistan — A Pakistan court on Friday convicted former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan, and his wife Bushra Bibi in a landmark graft case, sentencing Khan to 14 years in prison.
Read more »
Bangladesh Train Services Halted as Workers Strike for Higher PensionsA nationwide strike by railway workers in Bangladesh has brought train services to a standstill, disrupting travel plans for tens of thousands of passengers and impacting freight transportation. The workers are demanding higher pensions and other benefits.
Read more »