Ghani Warns Against Afghan 'Proxy War'

Afghanistan's new president has warned he will not let his country become the battleground for a proxy war.

President Ashraf Ghani issued his warning on November 26 to South Asian leaders meeting in the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu.

The departure of NATO combat troops from Afghanistan at the end of the year has raised fears that rivalry between India and Pakistan could escalate.

The two have long accused each other of using proxy forces to try to gain influence in Afghanistan.

Ghani told leaders including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan's Nawaz Sharif, "We will not permit anybody to conduct proxy wars on our soil."

During his first face-to-face talks with Modi, Ghani accepted an invitation to visit India in 2015.

India is the largest regional investor in Afghanistan.