US report shunts away Pak's allegations about India fanning terror through Afghanistan

Washington, Oct.18 (ANI): While Pakistan has been accusing India of fanning Baloch insurgency through Afghanistan, a new report by the US Congressional Research Service (CRS) has clarified that New Delhi is only involved in 'constructive' work in the war torn country.

The CRS, which works exclusively for the US Congress, in its report, highlighted that India is the fifth largest single donor country for Afghan reconstruction, funding projects worth over 1.2 billion dollars.

"India's role in Afghanistan is constructive, and some would support an Indian decision to deploy more security forces in Afghanistan to protect its construction workers, diplomats, and installations. "India reportedly decided in August 2008 to improve security for its officials and workers in Afghanistan, but not to send actual troops there," the report said.

The report pointed out that India's involvement in Afghanistan was not new, as it had also supported the US-backed Northern Alliance against the Taliban in the mid-1990s.

It said India and Afghanistan shared a special relationship as many of Afghan leaders have lived in India or studied there, such as President Hamid Karzai.

The report said that India's concern regarding the Taliban's association with Al-Qaeda was genuine, as it sees Al-Qaeda as a major threat to it.

"India saw the Taliban's hosting of Al-Qaeda as a major threat to itself because of Al-Qaeda's association with radical organisations in Pakistan dedicated to ending Indian control of parts of Jammu and Kashmir. Some of these groups have committed major acts of terrorism in India, and there might be connections to the militants who carried out the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in November 2008," it said. (ANI)