The Taliban rulers have promised India that they would not allow Al-Qaeda and Pakistani terror groups Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) to act against India and will take action against them on basis of specific intelligence.
According to a report of Hindustan Times, the top Taliban leaders,in the first ever bilateral meetings with the Indian delegation led by JP Singh, the Joint Secretary of Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran (PAI) division of the Ministry of External Affairs, promised action not only against India-specific groups based in Pakistan like JeM, LeT Hizbul Mujahideen but also terrorists from Al-Qaeda in the Sub-Continent (AQIS) provided specific information was released.
Last week, JP Singh held separate meetings with the Defence Minister Mullah Yaqoob, Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani and the Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul. The dialogue followed an invitation from the Taliban government. It was the first bilateral meeting with the regime after the Taliban’s take over the country last year.
Indian Delegation Visits Afghanistan: Indian delegation went on tour of Kabul in Afghanistan, Pakistan gave this reaction in a rage https://t.co/8AaoMPddas
— imran khan (@Khan279Imran) June 4, 2022
This meeting came after the Indian National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval made a strong pitch for the need to ensure peace and stability in Afghanistan, and combating terrorism risks emanating from the region. At a Regional Security Summit in Dushanbe, Doval stressed that all countries should come together to ensure that Afghanistan does not become a terror hub, which will have direct ramifications on the stability in the region.
“The direct dialogue with Taliban will not only take care of India’s strategic interests in the region but also keep Pakistan and its Middle-East allies like Turkey on tenterhooks and also act as a deterrent to any mischief against New Delhi,” wrote Shishir Gupta, a veteran journalist in his report.
Indian Delegation Visits Afghanistan: Indian delegation went on tour of Kabul in Afghanistan, Pakistan gave this reaction in a rage https://t.co/8AaoMPddas
— imran khan (@Khan279Imran) June 4, 2022
According to sources, during the meeting, the Taliban requested the Indian delegation to reopen the Indian embassy and consulates, promising all securities.
According to a recent report by the UN, Pakistan based terror groups like LeT, JeM still have hundreds of fighters in Afghanistan and have at least 11 terrorist training camps in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces. The reports said Al Qaeda has used the Taliban’s takeover to “attract new recruits and funding” and Al-Qaeda affiliates worldwide. “Previously, while the group was obliged to seek new safe havens, it was believed to have a continued presence in Afghanistan. Under the Taliban, Afghanistan is viewed as a friendly environment for continued occupancy.”
The report notes that the relationship between Al Qaeda and the Taliban remains close and is underscored by the presence, both in Afghanistan and the region, of Al Qaeda’s core leadership and affiliated groups, such as Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).
Recently, the AQIS threatened India with suicide bomb attacks for trying to defame Islam and the Prophet.
Despite the Taliban’s claims of not allowing Afghan soil to be used by terror organisations against any country, the UN report says that the country has become a hub of terror outfits.
Though India has not yet recognised the Taliban, as part of its cautious approach to the group, New Delhi has been supportive of the humanitarian requirements of the Afghan people, and has been recently sending medicines and food to Kabul.
