INDIAN INFLUENCE IN AFGHANISTAN AND ITS IMPACTS ON PAKISTAN

Afghanistan is a landlocked country in west Asia. It shares its boundaries with Iran Pakistan, Uzbekistan Tajikistan and China through a narrow strip of Wakhan valley. Throughout history Afghanistan remained instable due to its geography, week governments and foreign invasions. Afghanistan has an important geostrategic location, its neighboring countries mostly involved in its internal affairs to serve their own national interest. In history it played a role of buffer state between Czarist Russian Empire and British India. Afghanistan like its past once again became an important state of the region due to its proximity with CAR's region. Pakistan and India are also two important neighbor of Afghanistan. After 9/11, both these countries bitterly involved to strengthen their influence in Afghanistan and to minimize influence of the other. Its looks that Afghanistan has become a second battle ground for both India and Afghanistan after the battleground of Kashmir. There are speculations that both India and Pakistan busy in proxy war against each other in Afghanistan. Both are trying to get their hold strong in Afghanistan and to minimize the role of her adversary. After 9/11, India became successful to enhance its influence in Afghanistan which has direct impact on Pakistan. This paper is going to discuss that how India has become successful in strengthening her influence in Afghanistan and what will be its repercussion for Pakistan.