Indo-Pak rivalry can be very costly: Afghanistan

Observing that the proxy war inside Afghanistan is neither good for his country nor the region, Afghan Ambassador to the United Nations Zahir Tanin has said that the rivalry between India and Pakistan can cost his country very dearly.

Emphasising that Afghanistan needs cooperation from both India and Pakistan, Tanin said, "The rivalry between Pakistan and India, when it comes to Afghanistan, can be costly for the stability of Afghanistan".

As Afghanistan enters the phase of 'transition strategy', post-London conference, he said that the nations in the region had the responsibility to ensure that the transition would be from war to peace, and not merely an end game.

"In Afghanistan, the idea of taking out India or Pakistan is not useful, not possible and has very little chance of success. From our point of view, it is important for the political stability and economic prosperity of Afghanistan that India and Pakistan have a constructive role in the country," he said.

"But if we go back towards the mentality of the 1990s, I am not sure if such a scenario will succeed," Tanin said, adding that Afghanistan will like to continue its relationship with both countries as its neighbours, as it had historical, cultural and political relationship with each of them.

"From the point of Afghanistan, we see regional co-operation as the only alternative for stability in Afghanistan and in the region," Tanin said.

"Afghanistan, in the last eight years, offered a lot of economic interest, while other countries also helped us. We became a hub of trade and commerce. The alternative is rivalry in Afghanistan. The alternative is proxy wars. The alternative of regional cooperation is proxy wars and rivalry," the ambassador said.

"If there is any idea of a proxy war, it is not helpful and it has no future. Kabul is not going to tolerate it and I do not think that the majority of Afghans can support that," he said. Tanin said the three countries, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, have been working closely together at various international fora, including United Nations, in a wide range of issues.

"Our interests are not divided. I see there are many issues in which India and Pakistan can work together and there is a place for Afghanistan," he said.

"Despite this whole negative debate about rivalries, proxy wars and the future of Afghanistan, we see that the logic of cooperation is very strong. Cooperation brings billions of dollars to India and Pakistan; while any rivalry in Afghanistan can take that money," he argued.