New Delhi: In the first confirmation of the official meeting between India and the Taliban, the government announced Tuesday that the Indian Ambassador to Qatar Deepak Mittal had met with Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, head of the Taliban political office in Doha.
The meeting took place at the Indian Embassy on Tuesday afternoon, when the government said in a statement, demand from the Taliban.
Stanekzai was studied to ensure Mittal that the Taliban would discuss all 3 main concerns expressed by India – Safety and Returns of Indian citizens, Safe Passage for Afghanistan citizens who want to come to India and prevent Pakistani-based terror groups to target the Afghan region.
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Mittal’s meeting with Stanekzai, which lasted for more than an hour, said the results of the discussion that a high-level group consisting of NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and other senior officials in the last few days.
The official source said PM Narendra Modi had directed that the group was formed to focus on direct priority for India.
Although this was not the first meeting of Indian officials with Taliban leaders in Doha, previous meetings were not announced or confirmed.
A similar meeting involving Indian officials, according to official sources, has occurred at “ some opportunities ” before also in Doha and elsewhere.
These sources also denied that the meeting meant recognition for the Taliban by India.
It’s still a wait and watching approach, as the source says talking to the terms of anonymously.
The meeting also followed “ ouches’ by Stanekzai himself last week where he said the Taliban saw India as an important country and wanted to have better trade, political and cultural bonds with him.
An IMA alumni, and it seems known as his friends here as Sheru, Stanekzai is a senior leader of the Taliban has reached India since the takeover of Taliban Kabul on August 15.
According to sources, the choice of meeting place, was dictated by the fact that Stanekzai himself seemed interested in visiting the Indian Embassy.
While Stanekzai, who was also considered close to Pakistan, continued to lead a political office in Doha, there was speculation that he might become an affair.
This was apparently because of his frequent meeting with the head of a foreign mission in Doha.
The government said in his statement, which was released immediately after the meeting, that the discussion focused on the safety, security and returns of Indian citizens stranded in Afghanistan and that “the travel of Afghans, especially a minority, who wanted to visit India also came up to”.
Mittal raises India’s concern that Afghan land should not be used for anti-Indian activities and terrorism in any way.
Staneckai is said to have convinced Mittal that this problem will be “ handled positively ”.
The meeting also came a few days before the government’s establishment in Kabul and Within 24 hours after the last US soldier’s departure of Afghanistan.
Although this is not the first meeting with the Taliban, it is important that India chose to confirm the involvement with the Taliban after the takeover of Kabul.
India has never confirmed the report that the Indian delegation has met with several Taliban leaders in DOH A earlier this year.
Reports claiming the meeting between Foreign Minister S Jaisankar and Taliban in Doha was very rejected by the MEA.
However, after the fall of the stunning Kabul, the government has dropped enough instructions to suggest it recalibrate its position not to have involvement with the Taliban in the open.
Harsh Shringla’s foreign secretary was quoted as saying that India would work with a dispensation that was ready to protect the interests of the people of Afghanistan.
In a meeting with US countries and “such-minded”, India agreed that it was important to stay engaged to Afghanistan to ensure the government in Kabul was inclusive and who protected women, minorities, and children.