Amid renewed sweats by the government in Kabul to seek transnational recognition, the Taliban have said they’re open to entering Indian diplomats and furnishing security to them.
And as downtime fast approaches, hanging to worsen further the philanthropic extremity in Afghanistan, Taliban prophet and minister- designate to UN Suhail Shaheen
“We’re open to entering all diplomats and committed to furnishing security for their routine politic functions,” said Shaheen, responding to a query by ToI on whether or not Indian diplomats can return to Afghanistan.
Also, we drink philanthropic aids in this critical time as the downtime is around the corner,”he added, when asked about India’s aid offer to Afghanistan on the perimeters of the recent Moscow Format addresses.
Unlike their silence on the first sanctioned engagement with India in Doha in August this time, Taliban were quick to confirm the meeting with an Indian delegation in Moscow last month. They also said that India had offered philanthropic backing to Afghanistan in the Moscow meeting and that both sides felt it was necessary to take into account each other’s enterprises and ameliorate” politic and profitable relations”.
The Indian government is likely to concentrate on philanthropic backing for the Afghan people in a conference of public security counsels it has proposed to organise coming month. India has also been in exploring the possibility of delivering philanthropic aid to Afghans via the Wagah-Attari land border. Significantly, the government sought to know last month from Pakistan, which prevents India from exporting to Afghanistan through the forenamed route, if it would allow India to transport a large consignment of wheat ( around MT) and medical aid to Afghanistan.
While it’ll be intriguing to see in the coming days whether or not Pakistan facilitates this action, India first has to insure there’s an assurance ofnon-discriminatory distribution of food and medical aid once it reaches Afghanistan. India believes such an exercise must be covered by the UN.
Shaheen’s reflections also come amid a renewed pitch by the Taliban government in Kabul to seek transnational legality. The Taliban last week advised the US and others that if their demands for recognition weren’t met and if Afghan finances abroad remained frozen, it could come a problem not just for the region but the world.
“Our communication to America is, if unrecognition continues, Afghan problems continue, it’s the problem of the region and could turn into a problem for the world,”Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid was quoted as saying.
India withdrew its diplomats from Afghanistan after the Taliban preemption of Kabul and has so far ruled out sanctioned recognition for the Kabul government saying it’s not inclusive. Indeed Russia, while working nearly with the Taliban, has maintained it’s in no hurry to honor the Taliban and will stay to see if they fulfil their pledges. While Pakistan too hasn’t officially recognised the Taliban government, it allowed Taliban diplomats to take control of the Afghanistan delegacy in Islamabad last week, according to media reports.
