‘Talks are being held to ensure Af not used for terror activities’
Two days after India had the first formal contact with the Taliban dispensation, the Government on Thursday said it was “still early days” to think about recognising the Taliban.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi also said the talks were held to ensure that Afghanistan is not used for terrorist activities.
Asked about further meetings with the Taliban that took control of Afghanistan about a fortnight back, Bagchi said he had no update on the same. “Do not want to speculate. It’s not a matter of yes and no. Our aim is that Afghanistan’s land should not be used for terror activity of any kind,” he said.
To a volley of questions on whether India would recognise a Taliban regime in the backdrop of the meeting, Bagchi said, “It was just a meeting. I think these are very early days.”
India was not aware of any details or nature of the Government that could be formed in Afghanistan by the Taliban, he added.
Addressing a media briefing, the spokesperson said the evacuation operation that has remained halted since the past few days would resume once the Kabul airport became operational.
“Currently Kabul airport is not operational. We will resume our operation to evacuate people from Kabul as soon the airport service will resume,” he said, adding India’s current priority was the safety of Indian people in Kabul.
He said India used the first formal meeting in Doha to convey its concerns over the possible use of the Afghanistan territory for anti-India activities and to bring back the remaining Indians from Afghanistan. “We received a positive response,” he said referring to the meeting between Mittal and Stanekzai.
In a statement issued after the talks on Tuesday, the Government had said discussions focused on safety, security and early return of Indian nationals stranded in Afghanistan. The travel of Afghan nationals, especially minorities, who wish to visit to India also came up.
Mittal raised India’s concern that Afghanistan’s soil should not be used for anti-Indian activities and terrorism. The Taliban representative assured the Indian ambassador that these issues would be positively addressed.
These assertion by the Ministry of External Affairs came in the backdrop of political leaders like former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah asking the Government to spell out its stand regarding the Taliban and whether it viewed it as a terrorist organisation or not.
Asking the Central Government to make up its mind on the matter, he said on Wednesday, “Either the Taliban is a terror organisation or it is not. Please clarify how you (the Government of India) see the Taliban...If it is not a terrorist organisation, please move in the UN to remove it from the list of terror organisations. Let its bank accounts start functioning. Let us not treat them differently.”
“If they are a terror organisation, why are you talking to them? If they are not a terror organisation, why are you banning their bank accounts? Why are you not recognising their Government? Make up your mind,” he said.
