It appears that everything was thoughtfully choreographed. The Afghan Interim Government (AIG) ‘s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi would visit New Delhi straight from the Moscow Format Meeting, to be followed by Afghanistan’s security forces’ attack on Pakistan’s border posts in both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Both sides suffered human losses, forcing Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iran to intervene.

Muttaqi’s warning to Pakistan during the press conference in the Afghan embassy in New Delhi – that Pakistan should read Afghan history when it defeated the British, Soviets and the Americans – was quite instructive. Muttaqi’s refusal to admit to the TTP and its leadership’s presence on Afghan soil were equally belligerent, especially when the UN and international human rights organisations have come out with periodic reports on the TTP and other terrorist organisations’ presence in Afghanistan.

It may not be a coincidence that during the Moscow Format meeting, Muttaqi took strong exception to the statement of the quadrilateral meeting – comprising China, Iran, Pakistan and Russia – which expressed concern over the use of Afghan territory by various terrorist organisations, notably the TTP, BLA, ETIM, Al Qaeda and ISKP. However, while in New Delhi, the joint statement alluded to Afghanistan’s stability and the Taliban regime’s ability to control the terrorist threat emanating from Afghan soil.

Muttaqi’s six-day visit to India has already generated numerous speculations about the shifting dynamics in the region. Apparently, the visit, aimed at strengthening relations with India, was overshadowed by tensions between India and Pakistan, as well as between Pakistan and........

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