Is it all about territory and Islamic Sharia for the Taliban in Afghanistan? Abhinav Pandya explains

New Delhi, July 21: The situation continues to remain sensitive in Afghanistan with the US troops trying to end the war. What does this mean for India and the neighbourhood? In today's LIVE session, Abhinav Pandya, a Cornell University graduate in public affairs, is a policy analyst specialising in counterterrorism, will explain the issue in detail.

Abhinav Pandya has written for the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF), a premier think tank of India in national security. This interview highlights about what the Study of Peace and Conflict, investment and infrastructure be after the Taliban takes over Kabul.

Here is the full video:

Speaking to OneIndia's Ajay Joseph and Vicky Nanjappa, Abhinav said, "I feel that in India after 1996, we had this problem of Afghan terrorists coming to Kashmir. Then we saw it manifesting to its peak in 1999 when the Kandahar plane hijack took place. It was after this that ISIS was facilitated. America launched its global war. India was assisting Americans in security forces and in other parts."

He further went on to say that Pakistan has a critical strategic location where it has to extort and blackmail all kinds of resources. America failed to realise that the real threat was not the Taliban, but it was Pakistan. Unless and until you build your infrastructure in Pakistan, and that is precisely speaking of our Army facing ISIS. That is the biggest terrorist organisation.

For the Taliban, it is all about Territory and Islamic Sharia. Even if the Taliban agrees to any Doha, Teheran, or Moscow mediated power-sharing deal with present or future Civilian administrations in Afghanistan, it would eventually weaken the ANSF and Civilian governance structure for a smooth transition to Power.