India should avoid military role in Afghanistan'

The country should avoid playing any military role in Afghanistan, said a former Indian diplomat in Hyderabad. 'We should avoid getting involved militarily in Afghanistan in any way. There are better things to do.... It is time people stopped regarding military activities as assistance to the people who have suffered enough fighting. Let us think of other ways of helping them and India has the ability to do that,' said Akbar Mirza Khaleeli, who had been ambassador to Iran, Italy, Egypt and Australia. Talking to reporters after making a presentation on `Afghanistan, Iran, India and The Region' at Administrative Staff College in Hyderabad, capital city of Andhra Pradesh state Khaleeli on Friday evening said, 'India has its interests there (Afghanistan) but it should not get involved in some military pacification or balance of military power, pti reported. 'We should not regard it as a military problem. Afghanistan has its own internal problems and the foreign presence will only aggravate tensions between Afghan people,' he said, in reply to the query what should be Indian strategy. 'Haven't they (Afghans) had enough bloodshed and fighting? To define national interests only in terms of military assistance and aid is absolutely disastrous. 'Americans have their interests and in due course we hope they will withdraw. We also hope that Pakistan will exercise some restraint in trying to show that it is the only power influencing Afghanistan, because it doesn't have the ability to totally dominate Afghanistan....We should have a steady policy and long view,' he said. Stating that India and Iran were 'two friends of ancient culture', he said India 'should not allow (growing)relations with US to impact long good ties with Iran'.