Indian envoy to Qatar meets Taliban leader in Doha
New Delhi: Indian envoy to Qatar Deepak Mittal on Tuesday met Taliban leader Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai in Doha, the first high-level contact between the two sides on a day the US completed the withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to Charles Michel, president of the European Council, about the evolving situation in Afghanistan.
"Spoke with @eucopresident Charles Michel, President of the European Council, about the evolving situation in Afghanistan. Also reiterated our commitment to further strengthening India-EU relations," Modi wrote on Twitter.
"The leaders discussed the recent developments in Afghanistan and the implications for the region and the world. They unequivocally condemned the horrific terror attack at the Kabul International Airport that resulted in many casualties. They emphasized the importance of a stable and secure Afghanistan and discussed the potential role India and the EU could play in this context," an official statement read. The two leaders agreed to remain in touch on bilateral and global issues, in particular, the situation in Afghanistan, it said.
Meanwhile, 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 come to India.
The MEA said the Taliban leader assured 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, at 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.
Meanwhile, America has ended its longest war in Afghanistan, President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday, hours after the final US evacuation plane flew out of Kabul airport amidst celebratory gunfire from the Taliban, leaving the country in disarray and its future uncertain under the rule of hardline Islamist militants.
The last plane carrying US forces left Afghanistan on Monday around midnight, a day ahead of schedule, ending a 20-year war that left nearly 2,500 American troops dead and spanned four presidencies.
The C17 aircraft's departure from Kabul's international airport was the final chapter in a contentious military effort, which eventually saw the US handing Afghanistan back to the very Islamist militants it sought to root out when American troops entered the country in 2001.
Celebratory gunfire and fireworks erupted across Kabul as Taliban fighters took control of the airport following the withdrawal, proclaiming full independence for Afghanistan.
Now, our 20-year military presence in Afghanistan has ended, Biden said, thanking armed forces for their execution of the dangerous retrograde from Afghanistan with no further loss of American lives.
"For now, I will report that it was the unanimous recommendation of the Joint Chiefs and of all of our commanders on the ground to end our airlift mission as planned.
"Their view was that ending our military mission was the best way to protect the lives of our troops, and secure the prospects of civilian departures for those who want to leave Afghanistan in the weeks and months ahead," he said.
The President said he has asked the Secretary of State to lead the continued coordination with US international partners to ensure safe passage for any American, Afghan partners and foreign nationals who want to leave Afghanistan.
The Taliban triumphantly marched into Kabul's international airport on Tuesday, hours after the final US troop withdrawal. Standing on the tarmac, Taliban leaders pledged to secure the country, quickly reopen the airport and grant amnesty to former opponents.
In a show of control, turbaned Taliban leaders were flanked by the insurgents' elite Badri unit as they walked across the tarmac. The commandos in camouflage uniforms proudly posed for photos.
Getting the airport running again is just one of the sizeable challenges the Taliban face in governing a nation of 38 million people that for two decades had survived on billions of dollars in foreign aid.
Afghanistan is finally free, Hekmatullah Wasiq, a top Taliban official, told
The Associated Press on the tarmac. The military and civilian sides (of the airport) are with us and in control. Hopefully, we will be announcing our Cabinet. Everything is peaceful. Everything is safe.
Meanwhile, a body dangled from a US military chopper being flown by the Taliban, reportedly over Kandahar in Afghanistan, in a chilling video shared on Tuesday by several journalists and what the Taliban claims is their official handle.
The tweets surfaced hours after the US wrapped up a messy exit, with the last of its troops flying out in military aircraft. The authenticity of this video cannot be confirmed.
The 'Talib Times' — its Twitter bio calls it "the English language official account of Islamic Emirate Afghanistan" — claimed that the chopper was "patrolling the city", without once mentioning the body hanging on a rope from the US Black Hawk.
"Our Air Force! At this time, the Islamic Emirate's air force helicopters are flying over Kandahar city and patrolling the city," said the tweet.
With agency inputs
