India's Strategic Interests in Afghanistan
India's condemnation of the Pakistani strikes is shaped by long-standing strategic interests in Afghanistan that diverge sharply from Pakistan's interests in the region.
- India invested approximately $3 billion in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2021 in aid, infrastructure, and reconstruction — including the Salma Dam (Herat), the Afghan Parliament building, the Zaranj-Delaram Highway (connecting to Chabahar), and rural schools.
- After the Taliban takeover in August 2021, India evacuated its diplomatic missions but gradually re-engaged, reopening a mission in Kabul in 2022 without formally recognizing the Taliban government.
- India uses Iran's Chabahar Port as a bypass route to send humanitarian assistance (wheat, medicines, vaccines) to Afghanistan, circumventing Pakistan's land route.
- The Zaranj-Delaram Highway, built by India's Border Roads Organisation in 2009, connects Afghanistan to Iran's Chabahar port — giving Afghanistan (and Indian goods) a Pakistan-free trade corridor.
- India's core concerns in Afghanistan: preventing the country from being used as a base for anti-India terrorist groups (LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammed), and counterbalancing China-Pakistan influence in Kabul.
- India's stance is consistently that Afghanistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected — directly opposing Pakistan's airstrike approach.
● Tracked since February 22, 2026 · last seen March 13, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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