India holds talks with Talibans, discusses return of Indians

In the first ever formal contact between India and the Taliban Ambassador to Qatar, Deepak Mittal, met head of Taliban's political office Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai in Doha on Tuesday and held discussions on safety, security and early return of Indian nationals stranded in Afghanistan besides delivering a firm message on preventing Afghan territory from being used for terrorism against India.

The meeting happened immediately a day after senior UAE official who handles Afghan file met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. “Happy to welcome Diplomatic Advisor to President of UAE, Dr. @AnwarGargash. Noted the steady progress of our relationship. Discussed regional concerns of common interest.”

India has also been engaging with Qatar for months on the Taliban and peace talks. While UAE did not play a role in the Afghan issue in the public eyes, Abu Dhabi is critical in the Afghan question as one of the key regional players with strong ties with India.


The Tuesday’s meeting took place at the Embassy of India, Doha, on the request of the Taliban side, an official statement said.

"Discussions focused on safety, security and early return of Indian nationals stranded in Afghanistan. The travel of Afghan nationals, especially minorities, who wish to visit to India also came up," the statement said.

The Indian ambassador raised India’s concern that Afghanistan’s soil should not be used for anti-Indian activities and terrorism in any manner. The Taliban representative assured the ambassador that these issues would be positively addressed, the statement added.

It is no secret that Pak Army and ISI have used Taliban to target Indian assets. Besides Jaish and LeT have found safe havens in Afghanistan.

There have been number of informal contacts between India and Taliban in the past across cities including Moscow and Doha.

The Taliban is seeking to bolster its image on the global stage and outreach to India is important in that regard.

On Saturday Stanekzai noted India was “very important for this subcontinent” and that the Taliban would want to continue Afghanistan’s “cultural, economic, political and trade ties” with the country.

“We attach great importance to our trade, economic and political relations with India and want to maintain that relation," Stanekzai said in a video broadcast on Saturday.

Stanekzai, who is tipped to become foreign minister, said the new government in Kabul would want trade with India by a land route through Pakistan, which could anger Islamabad.

Pakistan has blocked New Delhi and Afghanistan from using its territory for trade, forcing Kabul and India to open air corridors.

Stanekzai's statement to India was the first formal contact with India after New Delhi pulled its diplomats out Kabul and moved more than 550 people from Afghanistan as the Taliban overran the city two weeks ago.