Just days after Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval’s Kabul visit, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Muhammad Qureshi alleged India was playing a spoiler in the Afghan Peace Process, Dawn reported. 

Addressing a meeting in his home constituency in Pakistan, Qureshi said they had conveyed their concern to the Afghan government and the international community. 

Last year, Pakistan presented a dossier to the international community and the United Nations containing, what they claim, the evidence of Indian involvement in the state sponsor of terrorism. 

Pakistan has long remained apprehensive about Indian presence in its neighbor Afghanistan. Islamabad’s thinking is “best role that India could play in Afghanistan is to not play any role.” Whenever Afghanistan and Pakistan have serious discussions on improving bilateral ties, reducing the Indian presence in Afghanistan becomes a key demand of Islamabad. 

Last week, Indian NSA Ajit Doval visited Afghanistan to take stock of the security situation and increase the bilateral cooperation between the two countries. During the visit, Doval met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, former President Hamid Karzai, NSA Hamidullah Mohib, and HCRA chairman Dr. Abdullah Abdullah. 

Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh, and foreign minister Hanif Atmer also had meetings with Deval. 

As the security situation deteriorates amid the continued withdrawal of the foreign forces, the Afghan government expects an increase in military assistance from India. Any Indian military assistance to the Afghan government will surely offend Pakistan. 

In the last 20 years, India has adopted a policy of limited military support to Afghanistan to balance the Afghanistan-Pakistan axis.