New Delhi: A group of leading Indians has called the Taliban to prevent terrorist groups using Afghanistan as a base to target other countries, while asking the Indian government to continue to be involved with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
In an appeal, former Foreign Minister Natwar Singh and Yashwant Sinha, Mani Shankar Aiyar, Julio Rebeiro, Najeeb Jung, Vedpratap Vaidik, Saeed Naqvi, Former KC Singh Diplomat, Sandeep Pandey, Majeed Memon and Sudheendra Kulkarni welcomed the first official outreach to the Taliban by government.
“There should be no discrimination about the basis of religion in providing protection for Afghans who have been forced to leave their country,” said the statement.
The statement asked the government to “allow temporary stay to Afghan journalists, artists and civil society leaders who felt threatened by conditions in their country.” In a signal for political polarization that might play before the upcoming election, the statement said, “There are no political parties that must be permitted to use developments in Afghanistan to communally polarize the Indian society for the election gain and every effort must be handled firmly.” They appealed to the international community not to isolate the Taliban and advance humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan.