Addressing the International Contact Group (ICG) on Afghanistan and Pakistan on Thursday, the Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid emphasized the importance of continued international support for Afghanistan.
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Khurshid argued that a complete pullout of foreign troops this year would allow Pakistan to more easily support the Taliban. Since President Hamid Karzai's rise to power, India has become a major ally of Afghanistan, which has raised tensions with Pakistan - New Delhi's longtime rival in South Asia.
The Indian dignitary maintained his country had no "exit strategy" from Afghanistan, as the impasse over the Kabul-Washington Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) continues to claim headlines.
"People may have many strategies, but one strategy India rejects is an exit strategy from Afghanistan," Khurshid said.
He reaffirmed New Delhi's longstanding commitment to Afghanistan beyond 2014, calling upon the international community to focus attention on the hideouts and the support networks of militants, a seemingly implicit reference to Pakistan, which has been accused of nurturing militants in the past.
Host Zabi Sadaat will discuss the implications of the report with the following guests:
• Haji Mohammad Nazir Ahmadzai, MP
• Hassan Mubarak, teacher at the University
• Meya Gul Khalid, political analyst
• Amir Shah Kargar, political analyst