He learns that Stanekzai assured Mittal that the Taliban will address the three major concerns expressed by India: security and return of Indian citizens, safe passage for Afghans who want to come to India, and prevention of terrorist groups based in Pakistan. use Afghan territory to head to India.
Mittal’s meeting with Stanekzai, which lasted more than an hour, is said to have been the result of discussions in recent days by a high-level group formed by NSA Ajit Doval, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Exteriors S Jaishankar and other senior officials. Official sources said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had ordered the group to be formed to focus on India’s immediate priorities.
While this was not the first meeting Indian officials held with Taliban leaders in Doha, previous meetings were not announced or confirmed. According to official sources, similar meetings have taken place with Indian officials previously on “some occasions” in Doha and elsewhere.
These sources also denied that the meeting was a recognition for the Taliban by India. It remains a waiting approach, as one source said speaking on condition of anonymity.
The meeting also followed a “disclosure” by Stanekzai himself last week in which he said the Taliban regarded India as an important country and wanted to have better trade, political and cultural ties with it. A former IMA student, and apparently known to his groupmates as Sheru, Stanekzai was the most Taliban senior leader to arrive in India since the Taliban took control of Kabul on August 15. . According to sources, the choice of venue for the meeting was dictated by the fact that Stanekzai himself seemed interested in visiting the Indian embassy. Although Stanekzai, who is also considered close to Pakistan, remains at the helm of the Doha political office, it has been speculated that he could become foreign minister. Apparently, this is due to his frequent meetings with heads of foreign missions in Doha.
The government said in its statement, which was released immediately after the meeting, that discussions focused on the security, safety and early return of stranded Indian citizens to Afghanistan and that the “trip of Afghan nationals, especially of minorities, who wish to visit India.” up “.
Mittal raised India’s concern that the land of Afghanistan would not be used in any way for anti-Indian activities and terrorism. Stanekzai is said to have assured Mittal that these issues would be “addressed positively”. The meeting also took place days before the formation of the government in Kabul and 24 hours after the departure of the last American soldier from Afghanistan.
While this was not the first meeting with the Taliban, it is significant that India chose to confirm commitment to the Taliban after the takeover of Kabul. India never confirmed reports that an Indian delegation had met with some Taliban leaders in Doha earlier this year. Reports calling for a meeting between Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and the Taliban in Doha were strongly denied by the MEA.
After the impressive fall of Kabul, the government had left enough clues to suggest that it was recalibrating its position to have no compromise with the Taliban in the open. Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla was quoted as saying India would work with any waiver that was prepared to protect the interests of Afghans. In meetings with the United States and other “allied” countries, India agreed that it was important to remain committed to Afghanistan to ensure that the Kabul government is inclusive and that it protects women, minorities and children.