India’s Strategic Engagement in Afghanistan and its Implications for Pakistan-Afghanistan Relations: A Geopolitical Analysis

Abstract

Afghanistan has remained a significant geopolitical space because of its strategic location connecting South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East. India's engagement with Afghanistan expanded after 2001 through diplomatic relations, development assistance, infrastructure projects, and political cooperation. This paper examines India's strategic engagement in Afghanistan and evaluates its implications for Pakistan-Afghanistan relations. The study applies Neorealism as a theoretical framework to understand how security competition, strategic interests, and regional power balancing influence state behaviour. A qualitative historical research methodology is adopted using primary and secondary sources. The study argues that India's increasing role in Afghanistan was interpreted by Pakistan through a security competition perspective, contributing to strategic mistrust between Islamabad and Kabul. The findings indicate that Afghanistan became an important arena of regional competition where India and Pakistan attempted to protect their respective strategic interests.