Rise of Taliban in Afghanistan is ominous for South and Central Asia
Hindustan TimesPrime Minister Imran Khan has told western media that Pakistan’s leverage on Taliban has diminished after the US announced the date of withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan, resulting in a de-facto victory of the Pashtun insurgent group. The drug-funded weapon and cadre supply lines to Taliban run through Khyber and Spin Boldak pass with Sirajuddin Haqqani of Haqqani Network appointed as the sword arm of the ultra-conservative Sunni insurgent group. Pakistan-based India specific terrorist groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba act as force multipliers for Pakistan’s influence on Taliban as well as provide terror training camps to the Punjabi groups in Afghanistan. The prediction of an imminent sweep of Afghanistan by the Taliban appears to a hurried one as neighbours of Kabul like India, Russia, Iran and Central Asia understand the security ramifications of emirate, as it will give rise to Sunni fundamentalism as witnessed before the rise of the Pashtun group in early 1990s.