"Jaage ho?..." Jaishankar recalls when PM Modi called him past midnight during Afghan consulate attack

In 2016, terrorists attacked Indian consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif in Afghanistan. Recently, external affair minister S Jaishankar recounted the incident when prime minister Narendra Modi called him past midnight to enquire about the attack.

"It was past midnight, and our consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan, was under attack. And we were using phones, trying to figure out what happened," Jaishankar said during a book discussion event in New York on Thursday. He was speaking at an event to discuss the book Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery.

"All of this was happening and you're juggling phones, trying to keep everybody updated. And then, my phone rang. When the prime minister calls, there is no caller ID. His first question was -Jaage ho? (Are you awake?)," the External Affairs minister said.


"Jaage ho?...achaa tv dekh rahe ho...toh kya ho raha h waha (what's happening there?)," Modi asked Jaishankar over the call, responding to which the EAM responded and informed the PM that help was on its way.

Jaishankar said during the address citing the phone call with Prime Minister. "I told him that it might take a couple of more hours and that I would call up at his office. To this, he responded - 'Mujhe phone kar dena' (Call me please)," Jaishankar said.

Praising the leadership skills of PM Modi the EAM said, "To handle the consequences of very big decisions, that is a singular quality."

The EAM also recounted India's evacuation effort from Afghanistan after the country fell to the control of Taliban last year.

According to reports, India brought back over 800 people including some Afghans after the Taliban captured the country following the hasty withdrawal of armies of the US and other nations. India carried out the evacuation missions, under Operation Devi Shakti, in coordination with the US, Qatar, Tajikistan and several other friendly countries.