News Analysis India

Tag: Taliban takeover

  • Afghan territory must not be used for terrorism: Delhi dialogue on Afghanistan crisis

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Top security czars of India, Russia, Iran and five central Asian countries on Wednesday pledged to work for ensuring that Afghanistan does not become a safe haven for global terrorism and called for the formation of an open and truly inclusive government in Kabul.

    At the end of an India-hosted security dialogue on Afghanistan, the security officials came out with a declaration reaffirming that Afghan territory should not be used for sheltering, training, planning or financing terrorist activities.

    The Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan voiced concern over the deteriorating socio-economic and humanitarian situation in that country and underlined the need to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people.

    The security officials also said that humanitarian assistance should be provided in an unimpeded, direct and assured manner to Afghanistan and that the assistance is distributed within the country in a non-discriminatory manner across all sections of Afghan society.

    The central Asian countries that attended the dialogue are Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

    In his opening remarks, NSA Ajit Doval said the recent developments in that country have important implications not only for Afghan people but also for the region.

    The declaration said the officials reiterated strong support for a peaceful, secure and stable Afghanistan while emphasising the respect for sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity and non-interference in its internal affairs.

    It said they also expressed deep concern over the suffering of the Afghan people arising from the security situation in Afghanistan and condemned the terrorist attacks in Kunduz, Kandahar and Kabul.

    They specifically emphasised that Afghan territory should not be used for sheltering, training, planning or financing any terrorist acts.

    ALSO READ | Taliban expresses optimism about regional meet on Afghanistan hosted by India

    The declaration said the officials condemned in the strongest terms all terrorist activities and reaffirmed their firm commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms including its financing.

    It also referred to the need for dismantling terrorist infrastructure and countering radicalisation to ensure that Afghanistan does not become a safe haven for global terrorism.

    The officials also called for collective cooperation against the menace of radicalisation, extremism, separatism and drug trafficking in the region.

    They stressed the necessity of forming an open and truly inclusive government that represents the will of all the people of Afghanistan and has representation from all sections of their society, including major ethnopolitical forces in the country.

    The declaration said the inclusion of all sections of the society in the administrative and political structure is imperative for the successful national reconciliation process in the country.

    Recalling the relevant UN resolutions on Afghanistan, the participants noted that the UN has a central role to play in that country and that its continued presence there must be preserved.

    The officials also emphasised the importance of ensuring that the fundamental rights of women, children and minority communities are not violated.

    In his comments, Doval said it is time for closer consultations, greater cooperation and coordination among the regional countries to deal with the challenges emanating from Afghanistan.

    “We all have been keenly watching the developments in that country.

    These have important implications not only for the people of Afghanistan but also for its neighbours and the region,” Doval said.

    “This is the time for close consultation amongst us, greater cooperation and interaction and coordination among the regional countries,” he said.

    India invited China and Pakistan too but both the countries decided not to attend it.

  • Indian envoy to Qatar meets Taliban leaders, concerns addressed against using Afghan soil for terrorism

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Indian envoy to Qatar Deepak Mittal on Tuesday met Taliban leader Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai in Doha, first high-level contact between the two sides on a day the US completed withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan.

    The Ministry of External Affairs said Ambassador Mittal raised India’s concern at the meeting that Afghanistan’s soil should not be used for anti-Indian activities and terrorism in any manner.

    It said the discussions focused on safety, security and early return of Indian nationals stranded in Afghanistan as well as the travel of Afghan nationals wishing to visit to India.

    ALSO READ | China asks Taliban to make ‘clean break’ with terror groups, form inclusive govt for recognition

    The MEA said the Taliban leader assured the Mittal that these issues would be positively addressed.

    “Today, Ambassador of India to Qatar, Deepak Mittal, met Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, the Head of Taliban’s Political Office in Doha,” the MEA said in a release.

    It said the meeting took place at the Embassy of India, Doha, on the request of the Taliban side.

    “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,” the MEA said.

    “Ambassador Mittal raised India’s concern that Afghanistan’s soil should not be used for anti-Indian activities and terrorism in any manner,” it added.

    ALSO WATCH:

  • Indian envoy to Qatar meets Taliban leaders, says Afghan soil must not be used for terrorism

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Indian envoy to Qatar Deepak Mittal on Tuesday met Taliban leader Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai in Doha, first high-level contact between the two sides on a day the US completed withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan.

    The Ministry of External Affairs said Ambassador Mittal raised India’s concern at the meeting that Afghanistan’s soil should not be used for anti-Indian activities and terrorism in any manner.

    It said the discussions focused on safety, security and early return of Indian nationals stranded in Afghanistan as well as the travel of Afghan nationals wishing to visit to India.

    ALSO READ | China asks Taliban to make ‘clean break’ with terror groups, form inclusive govt for recognition

    The MEA said the Taliban leader assured the Mittal that these issues would be positively addressed.

    “Today, Ambassador of India to Qatar, Deepak Mittal, met Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, the Head of Taliban’s Political Office in Doha,” the MEA said in a release.

    It said the meeting took place at the Embassy of India, Doha, on the request of the Taliban side.

    “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,” the MEA said.

    “Ambassador Mittal raised India’s concern that Afghanistan’s soil should not be used for anti-Indian activities and terrorism in any manner,” it added.

    ALSO WATCH:

  • Sikhs perform thanksgiving prayer after safe return with ‘Swaroops’ of Guru Granth Sahib from Afghanistan

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: It was an emotional moment not only for the Sikh community but for the entire country when the “Swaroops” of Shri Guru Granth Sahib were brought to Delhi safely from Afghanistan after its complete takeover by the Taliban.

    Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, carried on his head the Sikh Holy book Guru Granth Sahib on its arrival at T-3 Terminal in Delhi on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. It was a testimony of India’s rich culture and tradition.

    For all good things that happen, there is a tradition in our country to thank God and the people behind it. In line with this rich tradition, Sukran Ki Ardaas (a thanksgiving prayer) was organised by the members of the Sikh community at Guru Arjan Dev Ji Gurudwara near Tilak Nagar in Delhi.

    #FlyAI : Air India is blessed to have this opportunity to fly three Holy saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji from Dushanbe (from Kabul) to Delhi, which was received at the T3 by the Hon’ble Union Cabinet Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. @PMOIndia @HardeepSPuri @JM_Scindia pic.twitter.com/R9vc2QPqqp
    — Air India (@airindiain) August 25, 2021
    Pratap Singh, a member of the Sikh comminity said, “We urge the Government of India to prioritise the return of the remaining people of the Sikh community who are still stuck in Afghanistan so that they can celebrate Gurupurab in India and participate in yatras organised on the occasion.”

    Special thanksgiving prayers were also performed by the Sikh Community on Thursday in the main Gurudwara in Shimla, E-4 Gurudwara in Bhopal, Gurudwara Baba Naam Dev in Kanpur, Digyana Gurudwara in Jammu, Shri Guru Singh Sabha Gurudwara at Rani Bazar Shariefpur in Amritsar and Gurudwara Har Gobind Singh in new Guru Nanak Pura area of Jalandhar.

    After the prayers, the Sikh Community leaders had also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ensuring the safe arrival of the Swaroops and urged the central government to do its best to bring to safety the remaining Sikh families stuck in Kabul.

    “The entire Sikh community thanks Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri for the safe return of Sikh and Hindu families. Today, a ‘Sukran ki Ardaas’ was held at Gurudwara Singh Sabha in Arera Colony, Bhopal to pray for the safe return of the remaining Sikh and Hindu families who are still in Afghanistan,” said a member of Gurudwara Singh Sabha in Arera Colony, Bhopal.

    Gurpreet Singh, another Gurudwara member had said, “Sukran ki Ardaas was held at Gurudwara Singh Sabha in Arera Colony after ‘Swaroops’ of Guru Granth Sahib were flown back from Afghanistan. I thank the Government of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri for the safe return of Sikh and Hindu families from Afghanistan. We pray to God for the safe return of the remaining Sikh and Hindu families in Afghanistan.”

    The three copies of the Sikh holy book Guru Granth Sahib arrived from Kabul along with 75 evacuees from Afghanistan on an Indian Air Force plane on Tuesday.

    Hardeep Singh Puri, in a tweet on Tuesday, said, “Blessed to receive and pay obeisance to three holy Swaroop of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji from Kabul to Delhi a short while ago.”

  • Children of Afghan refugees in India see ‘dark future’ after Taliban takeover

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: When Afghan refugees in India held a protest in Delhi on August 23, sisters Dia and Diyana were at its forefront, one wrapped in the Afghan national flag while the other held up a placard, appealing to the United Nations to help the people of the war-torn nation.

    Dia (10) and Diyana (12), residents of an Afghan enclave in south Delhi, should be learning and playing, but at this tender age, the sisters braved it out in a hot weather, expressing their concern about the children, particularly girls, in Afghanistan since its takeover by the Taliban.

    “We are scared. We know what the Taliban are, even though we were not born when they first took over our homeland. And, we know how insecure the children and women are feeling in our homeland right now,” said the elder sister.

    Along with their parents, the sisters had gone to take part in the protest held in front of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Refugee Agency in south Delhi’s Vasant Vihar.

    The protest which started on Monday, have since been relayed, and the refugees are refusing to relent from their position until their demands are met, which includes issuing of support letters from the UN agency to allow migration to other countries and better opportunities in India.

    On August 23, when the protest began, a large number of Afghan refugees had gathered there, drawn from Delhi and neighbouring cities.

    Among them were scores of children, as young as a two-year-old Nihanz who came with her family members from Bhogal and took part in the demonstration riding her mother’s shoulders.

    Women power was evident at the protest, and participation by young girls, brought the focus on their plight, their vulnerability to the current circumstances and their sheer hopelessness of living a pitiable refugee life, even as Afghanistan descended further down the spiral of uncertainty.

    Holding a poster, Zuleikha Khadarkhil, 10, sat quietly next to her eight-year-old brother Mohammed Rameen, who raised vociferous slogans against the Taliban, when most children of his age are playing with toys and not taking part in a protest that may have global ramifications.

    While Zuleikha was silent, the image on the poster she held screamed about the plight of girls and their bleak future.

    There were no words on the moving artwork, just a sketch of a young girl depicted in a traditional Afghani costume, almost matching what the young protester had worn, with sadness in her eyes and one arm outstretched, reaching out for a book, signifying the curbs that the Taliban imposes on freedom and education of girls and women.

    “As refugees we feel insecure, as children we feel insecure, as girls we feel insecure, more so now after what has happened in our Afghanistan. I have a terrible feeling about the young girls and women of Afghanistan. How will they be treated now,” she lamented.

    Rameen and Zuleikha had come to the protest with their parents from Tilak Nagar, where a small community of Afghans reside.

    The protest has been led by Afghan Solidarity Committee (ASC), an umbrella organisation of Afghan refugees in India.

    The crowd shouted slogans like ‘we want future’, ‘we want justice’, ‘no more silence’ and clapped and cheered each other, as many others held banners bearing messages like ‘UN Geneva help Afghan Refugees’ and ‘Issue resident visas to all Afghan refugees’.

    The Taliban swept across the country this month, seizing control of almost all key towns and cities in the backdrop of withdrawal of the US forces that began on May 1.

    On August 15, the capital city Kabul also fell to the Taliban, even as a large number of Afghans attempted in vain to flee the war-torn nation.

    The insurgent forces have now sought to portray themselves as more moderate than when they had imposed a brutal rule in the late 1990s.

    But many Afghans remain sceptical of this and fear the return of the “regressive” regime.

    The hopelessness and dejection among the children about their future was unmistakable, with Tamanna, 10, who had come from Noida, echoing Zuleikha’s sentiments.

    “With the current situation, the future seems all dark for us, stuck between a poor refugee life with almost no education or job opportunities, and the horror of the Taliban back home,” she rued.

  • Institutional quarantine must for evacuees from Afghanistan

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Through a fresh order, the Union Health Ministry has made institutional quarantine mandatory for evacuees from Afghanistan who are coming to India following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. 

    The order, issued on Monday, said the health ministry has already allowed exemption from mandatory pre-boarding RTPCR testing, which is a requirement for all international travelers coming to India. 

    However, said the government, the Covid immunisation status of the evacuees is unknown and the exact extent of Covid transmission including circulation of variants in Afghanistan is also unclear at present. 

    ALSO READ | mRNA vaccine by Gennova gets regulatory nod for efficacy trials

    “..as a matter of abundant precaution, it has been decided that the arriving persons shall undergo a mandatory minimum 14 days’ institutional quarantine” at the ITBP  Chhawla camp in the national capital, said the ministry order. 

    On Tuesday, 78 passengers from Afghanistan, including 25 Indian citizens arrived in Delhi today via Tajikistan’s Dushanbe. Earlier, Indian authorities on Monday had evacuated 75 Sikhs amid the deteriorating situation in war-torn Afghanistan.

    So far, nearly 400 individuals from Kabul have been evacuated that covered Indian citizens as well as Afghan nationals including Sikhs and Hindus from there. 

    On Tuesday, there were reports that three of the evacuees had tested positive for Covid19 upon arrival, two of them—though with only minor symptoms—had been admitted to a government hospital.

  • IAF flight evacuates over 85 Indians from Kabul amid Taliban crisis

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: In an effort to evacuate Indian nationals in Afghanistan after the Taliban took over the capital city Kabul, an Indian Air Force (IAF) C-130J transport aircraft took off from Kabul with over 85 Indians, informed official sources on Saturday.

    “An Indian Air Force C-130J transport aircraft took off from Kabul with over 85 Indians. The aircraft landed in Tajikistan for refuelling. Indian government officials are helping in evacuation of Indian citizens on the ground in Kabul,” sources told ANI.

    The government has been putting in coordinated efforts to bring back citizens safely.

    India had earlier also picked up its consulate staff from Kandahar after the town was about to be taken over by the Taliban terrorists. The Indian officials from the Kandahar consulate had later stationed themselves in the Kabul embassy and were overseeing work from there, the sources had said.

    ALSO READ | Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in Kabul for talks on setting up govt: Official

    After the capture of the capital Kabul earlier this week, the Indian Air Force operated two sorties of the C-17 Globemaster after getting clearance from the US forces at the airport there and brought back around 180 officials, ITBP staffers and a few journalists.

    The Indian Air Force has already evacuated about 180 Indian passengers.

    Afghanistan government collapsed on August 15 with President Ashraf Ghani fleeing the country and the Taliban’s entry into the capital, as per media reports.

    Taliban leaders have been discussing future government plans in Doha after gaining control of Kabul and seizing the presidential palace in Afghanistan’s capital, as per a media report.

    Panic gripped the Afghan capital as people fear about a return to the Taliban’s brutal rule and the threat of reprisal killings. Several people have been desperately attempting to flee to the country on Monday flooded the Kabul airport and clinged around a departing US military plane.

    ALSO WATCH:

  • Taliban takeover stops import of Afghan dry fruits to India, prices surge

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: With the Taliban seizing control in Afghanistan, the import of dry fruits, onions, and apples has stopped from the war-ravaged country to India via the integrated check post (ICP) at the Attrai border. Thus, the prices of dry fruits have surged.

    Talking to The New Indian Express, Anil Mehra, president of the Federation of Karyana and Dry Fruit Association said, “The dry fruit consignments from Afghanistan are not coming to India as of now as Taliban has taken control of Torkham and Chaman borders. Every year, dry fruit worth Rs 2,000 crore was imported by India from Afghanistan. About 80% of it is bought by Indian traders. We knew that the Taliban have promised to not disrupt any trade activities on transit routes. The situation will be clear in the next 15 days.”

    “Earlier, about 35 trucks used to come to the Wagah-Attari border every day from Afghanistan via Pakistan. The dry fruits in each truck would cost between Rs 40 lakh to Rs 60 lakh. Afghan almonds have now become expensive. Their prices have increased from Rs 850 to Rs 1,000 per kg, also prices of pista and fig have also gone up,” he says.

    Mehra says, “The old crop of almonds has hardly sold out and the new crop has arrived in the market. We expect a rise in prices as already it is increased by Rs 150 per kg. Once the trade resumes then only we will know about the actual price of new supply.”

    ALSO READ | Taliban takeover of Afghanistan may lead to spike in drugs inflow into Punjab

    Another trader said that as the festive season is on its way, they are hoping that the situation will improve. “As dry fruits are perishable, there have been so far no arrangements for importing dry fruits via sea or air,” he added.

    Sources in the customs department said that it takes around a week for a truck to reach the ICP at Attari from Afghanistan. A few trucks came a couple of days ago but the number was very less. “There could be some problem as far as the documentation is concerned as the trucks carrying the valid papers from erstwhile Afghanistan government may not be recognised by the Taliban,” said an official.

    The trade at the ICP has been diminishing gradually since the Pulwama terror attack of 2019. Before the incident, the trade was worth Rs 2,767 crore which dipped to Rs 2,500 crore in 2020-21. India stopped trade with Pakistan after it abrogated Article 370 in August 2019.

  • AIMPLB distances itself from its member’s endorsement of Taliban

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: Many Muslim leaders in India have made statements endorsing the Taliban and then withdrew them too swearing support to India’s policy over the issue.

    A day after a member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Maulana Sajjad Nomani, praised the Taliban for its takeover of Afghanistan, the board sought to distance itself from Nomani’s statement terming it as one made in ‘personal capacity.’ It clarified that it was not the official stand of the Muslim body.

    In a statement issued from the official Twitter handle of the AIMPLB, the board said: “All India Muslim Personal Law Board has neither expressed any view nor given any statement on Taliban and recent political situation of Afghanistan.

    Opinion of some board members has been portrayed as the board’s stand by few media groups and wrong things are being attributed to it. These practices are against the spirit of journalism. Media groups must refrain themselves from such acts and no news regarding the Taliban should be attributed to the AIMPLB.”

    Earlier on Wednesday, spokesperson of AIMPLB Maulana Sajjad Nomani had issued a statement on his personal YouTube channel praising the Taliban. “We salute the Taliban fighters, they have defeated the strongest army. An unarmed nation has defeated the strongest army. They entered the palace of Kabul. The whole world saw how they entered Kabul. There was no pride or arrogance in them. There were no big words. Those young men are kissing the soil of Kabul.

    ALSO READ | Uttar Pradesh: AIMPLB moves Allahabad HC over demolition of Gareeb Nawaz Masjid

    Congratulations, this Hindi Muslim salutes you. I salute your courage. Salutes your spirit,” Nomani had said. Moreover, the Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal, Shafiqur Rahman Barq had also endorsed the Taliban on Tuesday. He had equated them with Indian freedom fighters.

    Barq had said that the Taliban was a force that did not allow even strong countries like Russia and America to settle in their country.

    However, after UP Police registered an FIR against the Samajwadi Party MP under non-bailable Sections 153A, 124A, and 295A of the IPC, he denied having given any such statement. He said that his statement was misinterpreted.

    Meanwhile, senior clerics of Darul Uloom Farangi Mahal rushed to condemn the statements made in favour of the Taliban. Darul Uloom believed that the Taliban should not be endorsed in a hurry. As per the sources, the biggest Islamic seminary backed the view that the Taliban should be watched if they followed what they claimed this time. The Darul Uloom said remarks should be made in consonance with the foreign policy of India and how things evolved between the two nations.

    Meanwhile, noted Urdu poet Munawwar Rana on Thursday again kicked up a row by refusing to recognize the Taliban as a terrorist organization and instead called them an aggressive group.

     “The Taliban has done the right thing. So, possession of your land can be done by any means. If the Taliban liberated their country, Afghanistan, then what is the problem with that? This cannot be seen from an Indian point of view. If you want to understand, then you have to think of India under British rule,” Munawwar Rana said while talking to media persons.

    He also said that he did not consider the Taliban a terrorist organization. “If they are fighting for their country then how can they be a terrorist? There is no particular definition of a terrorist, how can we say who is a terrorist and who is not,” he added.

    Munawwar Rana is known to have a penchant for making controversial statements. Recently, he had threatened to leave Uttar Pradesh if Yogi Adityanath became the Chief Minister again in 2022, after which he had to face criticism from a section of people.

  • Taliban takeover of Afghanistan may lead to spike in drugs inflow into Punjab

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: Taliban takeover of Afghanistan could lead to a spurt in smuggling of drugs into India in the coming months.

    Opium trade continues to be one of the most significant sources of income for the Taliban. Central and state intelligence agencies in India suspect that the supply of drugs from Afghanistan via Pakistan into Punjab will soon increase. 

    A senior officer of the Special Task Force on Drugs, on condition of anonymity, said “As the Taliban have now taken control of Afghanistan, it is expected the supply of opiates, especially heroin, from Afghanistan to India via Pakistan will increase as the terror group makes money by selling the contraband. It will take a few months to know the quantity of drugs coming to the state from across the border. But they will definitely be more. And as the production and supply increase, the price will also come down and create a wider market.

    ALSO WATCH | Timeline: What USA has done in Afghanistan since Taliban’s exit in 2001:

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    Though it will be a blessing in disguise for the drug addicts, “our efforts to crack down on drugs supply will be greater. Now we will be more vigilant as it is hard to find the smuggled drugs.”

    “The farmers in the war-ravaged Afghanistan are expected to indulge in the narcotics trade to earn their livelihood. Now, more farmers would grow poppy, extract opium, and refine that into heroin,” said an official of a central agency.

    Sources said drugs from Afghanistan are expected to reach India through the Pakistan border. A kilogram of smuggled heroin is valued at around Rs 5 crore in the international market. The price of heroin in Afghanistan is very low, but when it enters Pakistan it costs somewhere between Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. And when it enters India, the cost shoots up to Rs 20 to 25 lakh per kilogram.

    Sources said that this heroin is smuggled into Punjab directly from Pakistan through couriers from across the fence by using different methods. It is also transported from Afghanistan to Gwadar seaport in Pakistan and from there to Unjha port in north Gujarat via boats and then from there to Punjab in trucks transporting cumin seeds. 

    Last year, 194 Kg of heroin and chemical was seized in Amritsar by the Special Task Force (STF) which was smuggled from Afghanistan via Pakistan. The consignment reached Punjab via the sea route. Some Afghan nationals also help the smugglers dilute high-quality heroin to increase its quantity.