India's projects in Afghanistan will strengthen bilateral relations

[Iggy]

Bottom line India gets no MONEY out of it

The other thing you're saying is you're being nice to Afghanis so they don't attack you? As if India ever felt threatened by Afghanistan.

Department of Commerce, Government of India

Aid to Aghanistan = $750 million

Construction of Afgan Parlament = $25 million

Forcing an enemy to withdraw from the broder to take care of its northern borders = priceless

 

[EjazR]

Bottom line India gets no MONEY out of it

The other thing you're saying is you're being nice to Afghanis so they don't attack you? As if India ever felt threatened by Afghanistan.

The humnitarian goals of helping the Afghan goals is well known and already there and being a SAARC member it is an important goal for SAARC upliftment as a whole

But Like I said the main and short term goal is security to Indian citizens. I have already given you the example of the hijacking in 1999 when Masood Azhar and others like Omar Sheikh were let go who later on even killed Daniel Pearl in Karachi and was allegedly the master mind of 9/11. The 'aam' Afghan is not a threat, its foreign militants and groups that support them like Taliban that are a threat. (They are a threat to Pakistan as well btw).

Business ties are already improving as per 2006 figures India-Afghanistan trade was USD $5B in just 4-5 years time. This is without the PAkistani transit route. The Iran - Afghanistan route takes about a week to transport from Kandhla now and this can eventually act as a gateway to resource rich Central Asia. Reconstruction opportunities also provide a source of income for the private Indian sector. A nation has to plan 4-5 decades in advance and there is no doubt that this trade relation is set to only grow as long as peace and stability is established in the region

 

[vsdoc]

It is indeed sad that humanitarian aid to an impoverished and ravaged nation has to go through so circuitous a route.

Why does Pakistan not allow Indian cargo planes permission to fly over?

Cheers, Doc

 

[BlackSonic]

No money?

China sells hardware to Nepal and Sri Lanka for money. What does Afghanistan give you? What ALL does Afghanistan give?

Do you really think it's about money?

 

[EjazR]

Why does Pakistan not allow Indian cargo planes permission to fly over?

Well cargo planes do fly over Pakistani arispace for example Afghan apples are trasnported this way. But they tend to drive up costs and hence shipping through the Iran route actually ends up being mroe economical.

Although there are reports that Food Aid throught the US under the WFP is allowed by Pakistan although it took six years for the GoP to decide to allow it.

The World Food Program, which administers the shipments, said the Pakistan government gave its approval for overland shipment in 2008 -- six years after the first delivery from India. "Why did it take six years ... is something that WFP cannot answer," a spokesman for the aid organization said. "However, we are indeed thankful to the government of Pakistan for allowing transit for the fortified biscuits."

Source - WSJ.com