Click to play videoNew Delhi: For years, the dreaded Pashtoon militant has defined the Afghan presence in Jammu and Kashmir.
Now to find common ground between the two countries, Afghan Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak is visiting Kashmir this week to witness counter-terrorism drills.
Wardak will be given a ringside view of counter-terrorist operations, which have preoccupied India's military for the last two decades.
“Terrorism is a common threat to both the countries. Cooperation between us is important against fundamentalism and terrorism,” Wardak was quoted as saying.
The minister also declared that Afghan military officers could soon be in India, perhaps even in Kashmir, to learn from Indian experience in combating terror.
“We have a vast area of cooperation, which will include different types of training,” he said.
India's interest in contributing to the stabilisation of Afghanistan seems set to get a shot in the arm.
The stakes in Afghanistan are high, and India's desire for a strategic foothold in the troubled country has never been more obvious as it is today. But Afghanistan still remains a no-go country for India in terms of military presence.
Indian Defence Minister A K Antony remains adamant on the decision to have “no military presence” in Afghanistan.
Pakistan has so far vetoed direct Indian military involvement in Afghanistan. But the Wardak visit to Kashmir will be heavy with symbolism. There's will be a powerful message from Kashmir that the targets of terrorism must join hands.
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