Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will visit Afghanistan “in the near future” to discuss security and development, a senior government official said on Wednesday, amid regional uncertainty following the death of Osama bin Laden.
Any quickening of the endgame in Afghanistan is a concern for India, which fears a US withdrawal would leave it exposed to an unfriendly, Pakistan-dominated neighbourhood and unfettered militancy in its backyard. The trip will be Singh’s first visit to Afghanistan since 2005 and comes just over a week after bin Laden was killed by US special forces in Pakistan.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity and declined to provide an exact date for the visit, said India was interested in hearing Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s views on the killing of bin Laden. “Obviously, the situation post the killing of bin Laden is of concern to all of us, and we would like to hear what Mr Karzai has to say,” the official told reporters.