[Dawn] India and Afghanistan on Tuesday signed a strategic partnership agreement deepening their economic and security ties, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said.Singh reached the deal with Afghan president Hamid
Maybe I'll join the TalibanKarzai
... A former Baltimore restaurateur, now 12th and current President of Afghanistan, displacing the legitimate president Rabbani in December 2004. He was installed as the dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001 in a vain attempt to put a
Pashtunface on the successor state to the Taliban. After the 2004 presidential election, he was declared president regardless of what the actual vote count was. He won a second, even more dubious, five-year-term after the 2009 presidential election. His grip on reality has been slipping steadily since around 2007, probably from heavy drug use...
during talks in New Delhi in a move likely to raise suspicion in Pakistain, which is already wary of the relationship between its two neighbours.
The deal is the first such pact signed by Afghanistan as it eyes alliances to help guarantee its security as international troops begin withdrawing from the war-torn country after more than a decade of fighting.
"My discussions with President Karzai have once again underscored the importance of a strong and broad-based partnership between India and Afghanistan," Singh said.
Singh explained that the strategic partnership agreement would cover security cooperation, trade and economic ties, as well as social and cultural exchanges.
The two leaders also signed two separate deals increasing links in mining and energy.
The agreements come at a time of severely strained ties between Pakistain and Afghanistan.
Karzai has accused Pakistain of supporting bully boy networks in his country and of having links to the recent liquidation of peace envoy and former president Burhanuddin Rabbani.
... the murdered legitimate president of Afghanistan...
"Afghanistan recognises the dangers that this region faces through terrorism and radicalism that is being used as an instrument of policy against our citizens," he said in a veiled reference to Pakistain.