Iran is not at all friendly. Forget about Shia help. Iran, in fact tried to destroy Salma Dam built by India and had trued to stop it several times as it reduces water into iran.
Pakistan is not afraid of Indian hardware in Afghanistan. India doesn't have logistics and are a sitting duck. Bases are useful as long as it can be well supplied and defended. Just setting up a base in the middle of hostile territory is asking for trouble. India can't do a sweep of Afghanistan as that will raise hostilities between India and Afghanis. It will only cause massive casualties to Indians as Pakistan will be easily able to supply Taliban while India will have no supplies.
Your covert operation strategy is meaningless as nothing big can be done to arabs as that will cut oil supply to the world. The jihadis are funded by arabs and no matter what, unless the supply of arms and funds from Arabs end or a genocide is done, the problem of jihad can't ever end. Neither of this is possible now. So, please don't be unnecessarily hawkish
Your answer is practical and takes into consideration most of the realities. To that I agree, Yes.
But to solve an intractable problem such as Afghanistan - which threatens to be everybody's problem very very soon, one needs to be more enterprising.
If the Gordian knot cannot be untied, so be it, cut it.
I think you are overestimating highly the capability of NaPakistan and greatly underestimating the abilities of your own country. Logistics is a problem, yes. No one disagrees. Even for the Americans, it was a problem.
I fail to understand why you are thinking that boots on ground = war. If that means a war, it would mean a two front war for Pakistan. Do you think an imbecile and impotent a country such as Pak, can afford a two front war? Do you think our Army in the Eastern front for Pakistan will be sitting on their hands while they attack in the west? If Pakistan wants a war when we deploy in Afghanistan, it will get a war like it has never got before. Furthermore, you talk greatly of logistics and all, are you aware of the Farkhor Air Base in Tajikistan?
We could raid Pakistan in a matter of hours.
Some idiot (not you) here was crying himself hoarse about logistics and supply lines, but ignorant that he was, does not even know that we already have a base in Tajikistan through which we supported Northern Alliance.
These new strategic wannabees who are now posting here barely know that strategic moves by India pre American invasion and how deeply we are involved in there. There is much more to Indian presence in Af than that which meets the eye. All we want to do now is that - which meets the eye.
As far as Arabs are concerned, they are done for.
All they can fund now are car bombs which blow their own co-religionists up. You make mountain of a mole-hill.
When was the last time an attack happened anywhere in the world which had connections to Saudi Arabia or Yemen even? I do not recall any, going even a decade back.