The US intelligence community has informed Congress that Pakistan does not want heavy Indian influence in Afghanistan and will likely turn to China to offset New Delhi's sway in Kabul, the media reported on Monday. During a recent hearing on Afghanistan at the Senate Armed Services Committee, US intelligence chiefs assessed the situation in the war-torn country, and discussed Pakistan's interests in Kabul, Dawn reported.
The Trump administration is finalising a new policy for Afghanistan and the ongoing consultations in the White House have generated much interest in the US media and think tanks. Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger recently suggested resuming air strikes on terrorist targets in Pakistan.
Observers in Washington said the Trump administration might do so if terrorists targeted US military personnel and installations in Afghanistan. "Pakistan is concerned about international isolation and sees its position through the prism of India's rising status, including New Delhi's expanded foreign outreach and deepening ties to the US," said National Intelligence Director Dan Coats, who leads a team of more than a dozen spy agencies, including the CIA and FBI.
"Pakistan will likely turn to China to offset its isolation, empowering a relationship that will help Beijing to project influence in the Indian Ocean," the Dawn quoted Coats as saying. Coats said Islamabad had failed to curb terrorists in Pakistan and because of this failure, "these groups will present a sustained threat to the US interests in the region and continue to plan and conduct attacks in India and Afghanistan". "Pakistan desires for Afghanistan some of the same things we want: a safe, secure, stable Afghanistan. One addition — there is no have heavy Indian influence in Afghanistan," said Defence Intelligence Director Lt General Vincent Stewart. idea of a stable and secure Afghanistan that could undermine Pakistan's interests," the General said.
The General urged the Trump administration to work with Afghanistan's neighbours to go after the 20 terrorist organisations that were still active in the region.