‘Proxy war inevitable in Afghanistan if US leaves,’ says former Pakistani leader Pervez Musharraf
The former general remains a divisive figure in Pakistan: some praised him for ushering in a level of economic stability, though many saw him as an American puppet after the September 11 attacks
Pakistan’s former military ruler Pervez Musharraf warned a proxy war between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan would erupt in Afghanistan if US forces exit the country.
Musharraf, who came to power in a 1999 coup before stepping down amid protests against his rule in 2008, said Pakistan wants a peaceful solution to the 17-year conflict next door. But the former four-star general also blamed India for using Afghanistan as a base to foment separatist insurgencies and attacks in Pakistan. In interviews after leaving office he has hinted that Islamabad used proxy forces in Afghanistan to counter its larger neighbour India.
“You can expect a proxy war in Afghanistan if the US leaves Afghanistan, definitely, 100 per cent,” Musharraf said in an interview at his penthouse apartment in Dubai, where he now lives in self-exile.
War-ravaged Afghanistan has long been a battleground for the broader geopolitical rivalry between India and Pakistan. Musharraf’s comments underscore the fear of Indian encirclement that motivates Pakistan and its powerful military, which has ruled the country for almost half of its 71-year existence.
You can expect a proxy war in Afghanistan if the US leaves Afghanistan, definitely, 100 per cent
US President Donald Trump has stoked those concerns by pushing for New Delhi to take on a larger role in Afghanistan as the Washington looks to exit America’s longest war.