
Enemy's enemy
With tensions rising along the India-Pakistan border after the Pahalgam terror attack and in anticipation of a possible military-security response by New Delhi, GOI is making some smart tactical moves with Taliban in Afghanistan. New Delhi has reached out to Kabul to highlight Islamabad's links with the Pahalgam attack, prompting the Taliban regime to offer condemnation of the heinous killings and call for action against the perpetrators. This should have the Pakistani generals in Rawalpindi GHQ worried. After all, the Pakistani ISI-military establishment has long fretted an Indian strategic pincer assault from both its eastern and western wings. And with Islamabad having a tough time with Kabul after Taliban's return in 2021 – thanks to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan insurgency – a tactical convergence between India and Afghanistan will put Pakistan under tremendous pressure.
This is exactly the reason the Pakistani establishment over decades has tried to cultivate Afghanistan as strategic depth in the event of conflict with India. That in turn subverted Afghanistan's aspirations and stymied its development. Plus, there are some differences between the current Taliban regime and its previous avatar. The latter was isolationist whereas the former has been actively seeking foreign investments and, to a limited degree, even tourism.
In other words, Taliban 2.0 knows that it can't be a carbon copy of its earlier version. Nor can it have the same relationship with Pakistan as before. That said, some things continue to be problematic like the ban on secondary and higher education for Afghan girls and the bar on Afghan women from working. Also, Taliban is not a monolith. There are different factions and some continue to work with Pakistani agencies. Add to this the haunting memories for India of the IC 814 hijacking. Therefore, the challenge for New Delhi is to find the right people in Taliban to work with. Interestingly, US last month lifted its $10mn bounty on Sirajuddin Haqqani, Taliban's interim interior minister and once a huge thorn in the side of the US military. Hence, it's clear that even Washington is resetting its approach to key members of the Taliban regime. India and US should coordinate in this regard to promote stability and incentivise reforms in Afghanistan.
A step-by-step approach that prioritises mutual interests between New Delhi and Kabul is the need of the hour. Pakistan must be made to sweat by strategically outflanking it from the west. This should also give pause to ISI's recently revived anti-India shenanigans in Bangladesh.
Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email
This piece appeared as an editorial opinion in the print edition of The Times of India.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Business Standard
26 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Los Angeles immigration raids: What's happening & how Indians can stay safe
Protests have been sweeping through Los Angeles since June 6, sparked by a wave of arrests by federal immigration agents. US President Donald Trump has now ordered 2,000 California National Guard troops to the city's streets. What began as demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids has escalated into a broader standoff between state and federal authorities. So far, 300 troops have been deployed, but Trump has signalled more are coming. "We're going to have troops everywhere," Trump said on Sunday, adding that the deployment would continue despite opposition from California's Democratic leadership. Why protests erupted in Los Angeles The protests began after ICE agents carried out a series of raids at locations including two Home Depots, a doughnut shop, a garment factory and a warehouse in the Fashion District. These public arrests swept up street vendors, day labourers and other workers accused of using fake documents. Protesters quickly gathered at these sites and detention centres. "ICE out of Paramount. We see you for what you are," a protester shouted through a megaphone. Authorities declared several unlawful assemblies and made arrests. Paramount Mayor Peggy Lemons told reporters, "When you handle things the way that this appears to be handled, it's not a surprise that chaos would follow." Paramount is a city located in southeastern Los Angeles County, California. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also condemned the operations. "These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city. We will not stand for this." Who was detained The Department of Homeland Security said ICE arrested 118 immigrants this week, including 44 on Friday alone. Among those detained were five individuals said to be linked to criminal organisations. Eight American citizens were also arrested in Paramount for obstruction. David Huerta, regional president of the Service Employees International Union, was among those arrested during the protests. He was held at the Metropolitan Detention Centre. California Representative Nanette Barragan warned that enforcement operations would continue daily for the next 30 days. ICE said on Sunday: 'The men and women of ICE work every day, putting their lives on the line, to protect and defend the lives of American citizens. Secretary Kristi Noem is empowering ICE to continue removing the worst of the worst from American communities.' How many undocumented migrants live in the US The number of unauthorised immigrants in the United States is estimated between 10 and 13 million. Pew Research Centre's latest data puts the 2022 figure at 11 million, while the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) estimated 13.7 million in mid-2023. Encounters at the US border reached record levels in 2022–23, and asylum claim backlogs increased by around 1 million cases. Indian nationals form one of the fastest-growing groups. A joint study by Pew and the Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS) estimated around 700,000 Indians lived in the US without authorisation in 2022, the third-largest group after Mexico and El Salvador. DHS data, however, places this figure at 220,000. Indian immigrants in the US rose from 600,000 in 1990 to 3.2 million in 2022. Visa overstays by Indians have held steady at around 1.5% since 2016. The number of Indian recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) dropped from 2,600 in 2017 to 1,600 in 2024. Since the start of Trump's mass deportation initiative this year, India has identified 388 Indian nationals living illegally in the US, all of whom have since been sent back to India. Last week, top Trump aide Stephen Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to arrest 3,000 people a day, Axios reported on Wednesday. Federal response and political clash Trump justified the deployment of the National Guard as necessary to restore "law and order," accusing California leaders of failing to control unrest. In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote, "If Governor Gavin Newscum, of California, and Mayor Karen Bass, of Los Angeles, can't do their jobs... the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!" He has accused California of becoming a safe haven for unauthorised migrants, calling the city "invaded" by "illegal aliens and criminals". Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said active-duty Marines could also be deployed if violence continued. Trump used his Title 10 authority to federalise the National Guard, bypassing state approval. Governor Gavin Newsom formally requested the withdrawal of federal troops, saying their presence is "inflaming tensions". "Indeed, the decision to deploy the National Guard, without appropriate training or orders, risks seriously escalating the situation," his office wrote to the Defence Secretary. Representative Maxine Waters accused Trump of using the crisis to boost his political standing. "I think he's up to creating martial law," she said. What migrants can do if approached by ICE US-based immigration attorney Abhisha Parikh shared advice on how immigrants should respond if stopped by ICE: * Stay calm and do not run. * Ask, "Am I free to leave?" If yes, walk away calmly. * Request to see the officer's badge. * You have the right to remain silent, even if the officer has a warrant. * Do not resist or reach for belongings without permission. * You can refuse searches of your car, house, phone, or person unless ICE has a valid warrant signed by a judge. * US citizens do not have to carry proof of citizenship. * Immigrants over 18 with valid documents must carry them. * Do not lie or present false documents. * Ask for a lawyer if detained, and do not sign anything before speaking to one. * Make a safety plan in advance with family or friends and memorise important phone numbers. Parikh said race or ethnicity alone is not a valid reason to be stopped. "You cannot be held unless they have a legal reason to believe you're violating immigration laws," she said.


The Hindu
29 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Assam govt to intensify drive to identify illegal foreigners: Himanta
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday (June 9, 2025) said the State Government would enforce a 1950 law to identify and evict illegal foreigners. He claimed that the law empowers the district commissioners to declare individuals as illegal immigrants and initiate eviction proceedings. Speaking during a special day-long Assembly session, he alleged that Congress does not value 'citizenship', as out of four family members of one of its leaders, three are foreigners. It was an apparent jibe at the opposition party's State President Gaurav Gogoi, who was seated at the visitors' gallery of the Assembly in front of the treasury bench, whom the chief minister had been targeting for his alleged Pakistan links through his British wife. Mr. Sarma, replying to issues of detection and deportation of foreigners, said the state government will implement the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, for the purpose. It allows the district commissioner to declare illegal foreigners and evict them. Mr. Sarma said a constitutional bench of the Supreme Court had recently ruled that the Act is in force and the government can proceed under its provisions. He said more than 300 illegal Bangladeshis have been deported in recent months. Responding to AIUDF MLA Rafikul Islam's caution that foreigner detection should be handled carefully because 'citizenship is a most valued asset for any individual,' Mr. Sarma doubled down on his criticism of the Congress. 'Rafikul Islam has said citizenship is the most valuable asset, but it may not be so for Congress as they have people in whose family out of four members, three are foreigners,' he said. Mr. Sarma had been claiming that not only has Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi's wife retained her British citizenship, but their two minor children are also not Indian nationals.


New Indian Express
35 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Espionage case: Punjab YouTuber Jasbir Singh sent to 14-days judicial custody
CHANDIGARH: A Mohali court on Monday sent Punjab YouTuber Jasbir Singh, arrested on espionage charges to fourteen days' judicial custody. Singh alias Jaan Mahal, a resident of Mahlan village in Rupnagar district, was arrested on June 4 and was sent to Ropar Jail from Mohali. He was running a YouTube channel "JaanMahal Video" with over 11 lakh subscribers, ostensibly posting travel and cooking vlogs. Singh was produced before the court after the completion of the two-day police remand. Speaking to the presspersons, the counsel appearing for Mr Singh said that they will file his bail application. Meanwhile, his female friend, hailing from Jalandhar, was questioned for hours at the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) of the Punjab Police. According to the police, She has told them that Singh took her to Delhi several times and once accompanied her to an invitation-only Pakistan Day event hosted by the Pakistan High Commission, despite her not having an official invite. Singh allegedly used his close ties with Pakistan operative Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish to secure her entry, according to police sources. The woman also claimed that Singh had been providing her with financial assistance for some time. Her phone and social media accounts are currently being examined as part of the broader investigation into a suspected Pakistan-backed espionage network. According to investigators, Danish had been attempting to lure more young women into the network. Singh is also suspected to have been in contact with another Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO), Shakir alias Jutt Randhawa.