AMBALA: A group of 66 Afghan Sikhs and Hindus, including members of the Afghan parliament, Anarkali Kaur Honaryar and Narender Singh Khalsa, were not allowed by the Taliban to enter Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport for leaving the devastated country. for the war with some Indians. , although they waited almost 43 hours, confirmed people from both communities.
They have returned safely to their homes in the city of Kabul or Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Karta-e-Parwan, along with a Sikh Sanguine from Jalalabad, local sources said.
One of them said this was his second attempt to enter Kabul airport around 12.30pm on Saturday. The group of 66 Afghan Hindus and Sikhs had left a safe place with about 200 Indians in minibuses according to directions received from Indian officials. Before leaving, Tabilan’s fighters had checked all his vehicles. Later, Taliban fighters also escorted the group to the airport at midnight.
In some videos available with TOI, the group can be seen traveling in the minibuses to the airport at night.
“The roads in the city of Kabul were very scary, as there was chaos everywhere. The road leading to the airport was blocked by a large number of vehicles and thousands of people. The Taliban fighters escorted us all. time.There were heavy shots in the air.to disperse people near the airport and we stayed inside our vehicles.The Taliban told us to wait and we kept waiting for the vehicles outside. Kabul airport until 9.30am. But we were not allowed to continue, ”a Sikh member of the group said.
The person added that the Taliban told them to return because “we were not Indians, but Afghans.” “They spoke to us angrily and said that no Sikh or Hindu could leave. The Indians who were with us were allowed to go to the airport. ”
Earlier, this group had made the first attempt to enter Kabul airport to be evacuated on Friday morning, but they had returned due to excessive firing there.
It was also reported that the Taliban withdrew about 150 Indian citizens to check their documents and were later allowed to enter Kabul airport.
Prasar Bharati News Services (PBNS), India’s public broadcaster, has tweeted from its verified checkpoint around 3.15pm on Saturday that the 150 Indian citizens have successfully boarded the IAF C-17 and heading for India. However, this tweet was deleted in 30 minutes by the PBNS and no justification was issued for it.
Meanwhile, the Indian diaspora established in several countries has raised concerns about the security of Afghanistan’s religious minorities.
On 19 August, Preet Kaur Gill, a member of the British Parliament from Birmingham Edgbaston, wrote to UK Home Secretary Priti Patel to express her concern about the persecution of religious minorities in Afghanistan.
“I have been contacted by various Sikh organizations and charities about the need for urgent intervention to protect Sikhs from religious persecution and an immediate threat to life in Kabul … Sikhs and Hindus have been subject to several deadly attacks … “Gill wrote in his letter to Patel.
He added about 650 Afghan Sikhs and Hindus need asylum. “Of these, 380 are currently in India. The remaining 270 are in Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Karta-E-Parwan in Kabul, of which 51 are children, 50 are women and 15-20 are elderly. Of the 270, most have identity papers, however, a handful of newborns do not have a passport. Of the 260 with passports, most have Afghan passports and six have Indians, ”Gill wrote.
While the UK has announced the resettlement of 5,000 Afghans, Gill has asked Patel for clarity on the process for requesting it.
Meanwhile, on August 13, 2021, Canada also announced the resettlement of some 20,000 “vulnerable” Afghans, including women leaders, human rights defenders, journalists, persecuted religious minorities, LGBTI individuals, and relatives of resettled interpreters. previously.
According to the announcement, to resettle the “persecuted Afghan Hindus and Sikhs,” the Canadian government has expanded its partnership with the Manmeet Singh Bhullar Foundation.
They have returned safely to their homes in the city of Kabul or Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Karta-e-Parwan, along with a Sikh Sanguine from Jalalabad, local sources said.
One of them said this was his second attempt to enter Kabul airport around 12.30pm on Saturday. The group of 66 Afghan Hindus and Sikhs had left a safe place with about 200 Indians in minibuses according to directions received from Indian officials. Before leaving, Tabilan’s fighters had checked all his vehicles. Later, Taliban fighters also escorted the group to the airport at midnight.
In some videos available with TOI, the group can be seen traveling in the minibuses to the airport at night.
“The roads in the city of Kabul were very scary, as there was chaos everywhere. The road leading to the airport was blocked by a large number of vehicles and thousands of people. The Taliban fighters escorted us all. time.There were heavy shots in the air.to disperse people near the airport and we stayed inside our vehicles.The Taliban told us to wait and we kept waiting for the vehicles outside. Kabul airport until 9.30am. But we were not allowed to continue, ”a Sikh member of the group said.
The person added that the Taliban told them to return because “we were not Indians, but Afghans.” “They spoke to us angrily and said that no Sikh or Hindu could leave. The Indians who were with us were allowed to go to the airport. ”
Earlier, this group had made the first attempt to enter Kabul airport to be evacuated on Friday morning, but they had returned due to excessive firing there.
It was also reported that the Taliban withdrew about 150 Indian citizens to check their documents and were later allowed to enter Kabul airport.
Prasar Bharati News Services (PBNS), India’s public broadcaster, has tweeted from its verified checkpoint around 3.15pm on Saturday that the 150 Indian citizens have successfully boarded the IAF C-17 and heading for India. However, this tweet was deleted in 30 minutes by the PBNS and no justification was issued for it.
Meanwhile, the Indian diaspora established in several countries has raised concerns about the security of Afghanistan’s religious minorities.
On 19 August, Preet Kaur Gill, a member of the British Parliament from Birmingham Edgbaston, wrote to UK Home Secretary Priti Patel to express her concern about the persecution of religious minorities in Afghanistan.
“I have been contacted by various Sikh organizations and charities about the need for urgent intervention to protect Sikhs from religious persecution and an immediate threat to life in Kabul … Sikhs and Hindus have been subject to several deadly attacks … “Gill wrote in his letter to Patel.
He added about 650 Afghan Sikhs and Hindus need asylum. “Of these, 380 are currently in India. The remaining 270 are in Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Karta-E-Parwan in Kabul, of which 51 are children, 50 are women and 15-20 are elderly. Of the 270, most have identity papers, however, a handful of newborns do not have a passport. Of the 260 with passports, most have Afghan passports and six have Indians, ”Gill wrote.
While the UK has announced the resettlement of 5,000 Afghans, Gill has asked Patel for clarity on the process for requesting it.
Meanwhile, on August 13, 2021, Canada also announced the resettlement of some 20,000 “vulnerable” Afghans, including women leaders, human rights defenders, journalists, persecuted religious minorities, LGBTI individuals, and relatives of resettled interpreters. previously.
According to the announcement, to resettle the “persecuted Afghan Hindus and Sikhs,” the Canadian government has expanded its partnership with the Manmeet Singh Bhullar Foundation.