Search for papers, take away parked cars on premises
Going back on their word not to target embassies, the Taliban in the last few days entered consulates of India and ransacked these looking for documents. They later even took away the parked cars from the premises.
These incidents were reported from the Kandahar and Herat consulates from where New Delhi has pulled out all its India-based diplomatic personnel. These two consulates are now managed by locals. India also has a consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif besides the embassy in Kabul.
These developments came even as the Taliban leadership reportedly urged India a few days back not to evacuate its staff from its Kabul embassy. India was assured of security and safety, sources said here on Friday.
This assurance came from Abbahs Stanikzai, one of the seven important Taliban leaders. Interestingly, Stanikzai had trained as an Army officer at the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in 1982.
Sources said the message came from his office in Qatar before the diplomatic staff, including the Ambassador, was evacuated earlier this week. The message sent to the Indian Government reportedly said diplomats will not be harmed. Also, India need not fear attacks on its embassy from terrorist outfits like the Jaish-e-Mohammad or the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba.
On the two incidents of the Taliban entering the consulates, sources said it was a matter of serious concern that such actions took place despite assurances by the Taliban.
The fighters of the Taliban ransacked the consulates in Kandahar and Herat. It was learnt that the fighters also entered consulates and embassies of some other countries.
Meanwhile, the local staff of the Indian embassy in Kabul did not confirm such incidents taking place, reports said. They indicated the Taliban had entered all the foreign missions in Afghanistan that have been evacuated in the past week to seek details from the local staff. All foreign missions are now surrounded by the Taliban and cordoned off for common people.
The Taliban leadership had earlier said that they have asked the fighters to refrain from entering empty embassy establishments of other nations and also not manhandle their vehicles.
Reports also said the Taliban was conducting house to house searches to identify Afghans who worked for the National Directorate of Security, the intelligence agency of Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, efforts to evacuate the Indian citizens from Kabul and other parts of Afghanistan were on, sources said. There were about 450 to 500 Indian citizens waiting to be brought out. Several transport planes of the IAF besides Air India were on standby and sources indicated one or two planes may go to Kabul over the weekend to bring back the stranded Indians.
However, the flights will depend on the situation on the ground at the Kabul international airport and within the city where the Taliban has erected road blocks all over checking credentials of people, sources said.
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh earlier this week had appealed to the Central Government to evacuate Sikhs from the strife torn country and said there are more than 300 Sikhs there now. The Government had said it was in touch with members of the minority communities in Afghanistan and will do everything possible to ensure their safety.