Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on a visit to Afghanistan on Thursday, said India strongly supported a plan by Kabul to reconcile with Taliban-led insurgents in a hope to bring an end to the war, New Delhi’s first public backing of the plan. Singh also offered $500 million to Kabul in fresh aid in a move likely to raise Pakistani fears about Indian influence in Afghanistan in the wake of Osama bin Laden’s killing.
Making his first visit to Kabul in six years, Singh met President Hamid Karzai as calls grow in the US for a quicker withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan following the killing of the Al Qaeda chief.Any rapid reduction of the US presence in Afghanistan would cause India concern, as it fears the country could become dominated by a Taliban-influenced government friendly towards Pakistan.
“India’s development assistance commitment is approximately $1.5 billion, but there are still gaps,” Singh told a joint press conference with Karzai. A senior Indian government official said Singh would discuss with Karzai the regional implications of bin Laden’s death. “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 said.
US-like raid: Meanwhile, the Indian prime minister made it clear that his country would not launch any US-like raid in the region.
