India befriends Afghanistan, irking Pakistan

Kabul, Aug.21 (ANI): India has become a major donor of Afghanistan, and its growing presence here is riling arch rival Pakistan.

From wells and toilets to power plants and satellite transmitters, India is seeding Afghanistan with a vast array of projects.

The 1.2 billion dollars in pledged assistance includes projects both vital to Afghanistan's economy, such as a completed road link to Iran's border, and symbolic of its democratic aspirations, such as the construction of a new parliament building in Kabul.

The Indian government is also paying to bring scores of bureaucrats to India, as it cultivates a new generation of Afghan officialdom.

India's aid has elevated it to Afghanistan's top tier of donors.

In terms of pledged donations through 2013, India now ranks fifth behind the U.S., U.K., Japan and Canada, according to the Afghanistan government.

Pakistan doesn't rank in the top 10. (ANI)