Beware of China-Pak pincer movement against India, Singhvi tells Centre

China on Wednesday pledged 200 million yuan ($31 million) worth of aid to Afghanistan, including food supplies and COVID-19 vaccines. Beijing had earlier remarked that the establishment of the Taliban government was important to restore order in Afghanistan.

New Delhi:With Pakistan and China extending open support to the Taliban government in Afghanistan, senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Thursday cautioned the BJP-led central government to be wary of a stronger pincer movement by India's crucial neighbours.

"Cat is out of the bag. #China is 1st country 2give 32m usd aid to #taliban’s #Afghanistan. India, beware of clear #China-Pak pincer movement, on our borders as also outer borders and in anti india geo politics. Larger attempts to rope in #turkey & #Qatar must b thwarted (sic)," Singhvi tweeted.

China on Wednesday pledged 200 million yuan ($31 million) worth of aid to Afghanistan, including food supplies and Covid-19 vaccines. Beijing had earlier remarked that the establishment of the Taliban government was important to restore order in Afghanistan. Pakistan, on the other hand, made its intentions clear by sending its intelligence chief to Kabul to ease formation of the Taliban government.

In another tweet, Singhvi stopped short of calling the Taliban "terrorists" and said global powers such as China and Russia - two important permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - extending support to the interim government in Afghanistan was a "mockery of the community" (UN members).

"If 80% of a country’s cabinet consists of notified #UN sanctioned extremists, would u call it a country run by the dreaded T word? Judge for urself. Makes a mockery of community of nations represented by UN!!! And 2 Security Council members ( #China & #Russia) supporting new Govt! (sic)," he tweeted.

With the Taliban at the helm of affairs in Afghanistan, India will certainly be concerned about security issues and commerce as the South Asian country may provide fertile training grounds to terrorist organisations such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammad, especially in the region bordering Pakistan. If this happens, India's hard-earned diplomatic goodwill in the last 20 years is likely to get nullified.

Also, the trade between India and Afghanistan under the Taliban regime is most likely to be routed through Pakistan's Karachi and Gwadar and India's ambitious project of Chabahar port, specifically meant to circumvent Pakistan, may come to nought.