In the midst of new efforts by the government in Kabul to seek international recognition, the Taliban said they were open to accept Indian diplomats and provide security to them.
And when the winter approached quickly, it threatened to deterior further the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, a spokesman for Taliban and Ambassador – appointed to the UN Suhail Shaheen also told Tii Taliban will welcome assistance at this critical point.
“We are open to receiving all diplomats and are committed to providing security for their routine diplomatic functions,” Shaheen said, responding to the TII query about whether Indian diplomats could return to Afghanistan or not.
“Likewise, we welcome humanitarian aids in this critical time because winter is around,” he added, when asked about Indian assistance offers to Afghanistan on the Margin of Moscow format talks recently.
Unlike the silence of their first official involvement with India in Doha in August this year, the Taliban quickly confirmed the meeting with the Indian delegation in Moscow last month.
They also said that India had offered humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan at Moscow meeting and that both parties felt the need to consider their respective concerns and improve “diplomatic and economic relations”.
The Indian government is likely to focus on humanitarian assistance for the people of Afghanistan at a national security adviser conference that has been proposed to regulate next month.
India has also explored the possibility of providing humanitarian assistance to Afghans through the land border of Wagah-Attari.
Significantly, the government tried to find out last month from Pakistan, which prevented India from exporting to Afghanistan through the route mentioned above, if it would allow India to transport wheat consignments (around 50,000 MT) and medical assistance to Afghanistan.
Although it will be interesting to be seen in the coming days whether Pakistan focuses this initiative or not, India first must ensure there is a guarantee of food distribution and medical assistance that is not discriminatory as it reaches Afghanistan.
India believes such exercises must be monitored by the United Nations.
Shaheen’s statement also came in the middle of a new field by the Taliban government in Kabul to seek international legitimacy.
Taliban last week warned the US and other people that if their demands for recognition were not fulfilled and if Afghanistan funds abroad remained frozen, it could be a problem not only for the region but the world.
“Our message to America is, if it is not recognized, the Afghanistan problem continues, it is a matter of territory and can turn into a problem for the world,” Taliban spokesman Zabibullah Mujahid was quoted as saying.
India attracted his diplomatologist from Afghanistan after the Taliban Kabul took over and so far ruled out official recognition for the Kabul government which said it was not inclusive.
Even Russia, while working with the Taliban, has maintained it in no hurry to recognize the Taliban and will wait to see if they fulfill their promises.
While Pakistan also did not officially recognize the Taliban government, he enabled Taliban diplomats to control the Afghan embassy in Islamabad last week, according to media reports.