Islamabad: Unconfirmed reports about an Indian decision to send peacekeeping troops to Afghanistan at the instance of the US and the European Union have sent the alarms bells ringing in Pakistan.
Pakistan cannot afford to have a situation when it faces Indian troops on both sides of the border, the Pakistani media warned the government on Friday.
The Pakistani media has criticised the government for not taking any steps to prevent India from sending peacekeeping troops to Afghanistan. They have warned that Pakistan should not allow Indian troops on Afghan territory.
According to The News, India is contemplating to send peacekeeping troops to Afghanistan at the instance of the US and the European Union. The daily said there have been 'serious discussions in New Delhi' on the subject.
"It is safe to presume the last thing that Pakistan would like to see is Indian troops on both western and eastern borders. For over a week now, the Indian Government has been contemplating this request, which many feel is not the same as the request to send Indian troops inside Iraq, which New Delhi had rejected," The News said.
However, another daily The Nation said India is 'keen to deploy' its troops in Afghanistan under the coalition command, but the US and NATO 'have assured Pakistan that they would not entertain any such request by New Delhi'.
This is a new line of argument for Pakistan that have for long been accusing India of nurturing a strategic aim by opening consulates in Afghanistan and its ministers and officials have insinuated the role of 'Indian agencies' in the ongoing militancy in Balochistan, besides sectarian riots in Karachi.
The News further reminded that Islamabad had made it clear to the US, EU and others involved in peacekeeping in Afghanistan that troops from any country, except India, would be welcomed because of military implications for Pakistan.
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