As the fighting intensified in Afghanistan with the Taliban making rapid advances, India on Thursday said the situation there is of “concern” and it continues to hope for a comprehensive ceasefire. This observation came days after India advised its citizens in Afghanistan to leave the country.
Giving a sense of the situation in Afghanistan, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi also said here India is in touch with all the stakeholders in Afghanistan and closely monitoring the ground situation in the war-ravaged country.
Bagchi said India attended a regional conference on Afghanistan in Doha on Thursday at the invitation of Qatar. “The situation in Afghanistan is of concern. It is a rapidly evolving situation. We continue to hope that there will be a comprehensive ceasefire in Afghanistan,” he said.
Asked about Pakistan’s continued support to the Taliban, Bagchi said the international community is well aware of that country’s role. The Taliban has been making rapid advances across Afghanistan by resorting to widespread violence since the United States began withdrawing its troops from the country on May 1.
India is engaged with a number of stakeholders and leading powers on the latest developments in Afghanistan. It is supporting a national peace and reconciliation process that is Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled.
India has also called upon all sections of the political spectrum in Afghanistan to work together to meet the aspirations of all people in the country, including those from the minority communities, for a prosperous and safe future.
Bagchi also said the Indian consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif has withdrawn all India based personnel earlier this week. However, it is a temporary measure, he said.
The spokesperson also clarified there is no formal evacuation mechanism and all Indian nationals there were advised to leave Afghanistan through commercial means.
He said last year the Indian embassy in Kabul had facilitated the return of over 383 Hindus and Sikhs from there. The embassy is in touch with both the communities there and will ensure provision of all necessary assistance to them, he pointed out.