While India’s evacuation efforts in Afghanistan continued to focus on its own citizens, among the nearly 400 people who flew to India on Sunday were also about 60 Afghans, including 23 Sikhs and Hindus.
With many people, including foreigners, now seeking help in India to try to get out of Afghanistan, the Center has deployed a team of diplomats and defense ministry officials to Kabul airport to coordinate evacuation efforts. with the US and other countries facilitating the exercise.
The 60 Afghans, including two lawmakers Anarkali Honaryar and Narender Singh Khalsa, were expelled amid reports that the Taliban did not allow locals to leave the country. India had previously assured Afghan citizens, including members of minority communities, who were linked to it that it would prioritize visas and establish an electronic visa emergency service for them.
Crisis in Afghanistan: live updates
An evacuated Afghan woman, who touched India with her daughter and grandchildren, told ANI, “The Taliban burned down my house. I thank India for helping us.”
“India is our second home. Even if we are Afghans and live in this country, people often call us Hindustani. I thank India for reaching out, “Khalsa told reporters at Hindon Air Base, according to PTI.” I feel like crying. It’s all over. It’s a very difficult and painful decision to leave the country. ‘it has snatched everything away,’ said a visibly discouraged Khalsa. “They (the Taliban) separated us from others while they were going to Kabul airport yesterday (Saturday) because we were Afghan nationals. We fled there because there were small children,” he said.
Honaryar said, “I thank India, Prime Minister Modi, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indian Air Force for withdrawing us from Kabul and saving my life.”
Evacuators from Kabul (left) are waiting for their documents to be checked after landing at the Indian Air Force base in Hindon (Ghaziabad) on Sunday.
Alladad Qureshi, an Afghan national, whose wife is from Kashmir, expressed a sense of relief as he interacted with the Indian media. Manik Mandal, a jeweler who had gone to Afghanistan six months ago in search of livelihoods, smiled as he said, “We faced many problems in Kabul, but our government saved us.”
Following the chaotic scenes at the US-controlled airport, Reuters reported on Sunday from Kabul that the Taliban had managed to restore some order outside the airport, making sure people were queuing outside the airport. main gates and not allowing crowds to gather on the perimeter. A Taliban spokesman was quoted as saying the group was working to provide a “fluid exit” to the people.
The return of Indian diplomats and other officials to Kabul on a military plane comes just a week after India withdrew all diplomatic personnel from Afghanistan. The withdrawal of 192 members of Afghanistan’s diplomatic staff had some criticism, as the Taliban repeatedly assured all Kabul diplomats that they would not face any security threats. Taliban spokesman in Qatar Suhail Shaheen had said so YOU that he did not want India to remember his diplomats. According to Kabul reports, the Taliban even escorted Indian and other diplomats to the airport last week to facilitate their evacuation.
Junior Foreign Minister V Muraleedharan said on Sunday that there were about 500 people stranded in Afghanistan “according to the preliminary estimate” and that the evacuation was taking place in an “impeccable” manner.
With many people, including foreigners, now seeking help in India to try to get out of Afghanistan, the Center has deployed a team of diplomats and defense ministry officials to Kabul airport to coordinate evacuation efforts. with the US and other countries facilitating the exercise.
The 60 Afghans, including two lawmakers Anarkali Honaryar and Narender Singh Khalsa, were expelled amid reports that the Taliban did not allow locals to leave the country. India had previously assured Afghan citizens, including members of minority communities, who were linked to it that it would prioritize visas and establish an electronic visa emergency service for them.
Crisis in Afghanistan: live updates
An evacuated Afghan woman, who touched India with her daughter and grandchildren, told ANI, “The Taliban burned down my house. I thank India for helping us.”
“India is our second home. Even if we are Afghans and live in this country, people often call us Hindustani. I thank India for reaching out, “Khalsa told reporters at Hindon Air Base, according to PTI.” I feel like crying. It’s all over. It’s a very difficult and painful decision to leave the country. ‘it has snatched everything away,’ said a visibly discouraged Khalsa. “They (the Taliban) separated us from others while they were going to Kabul airport yesterday (Saturday) because we were Afghan nationals. We fled there because there were small children,” he said.
Honaryar said, “I thank India, Prime Minister Modi, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indian Air Force for withdrawing us from Kabul and saving my life.”
Evacuators from Kabul (left) are waiting for their documents to be checked after landing at the Indian Air Force base in Hindon (Ghaziabad) on Sunday.
Alladad Qureshi, an Afghan national, whose wife is from Kashmir, expressed a sense of relief as he interacted with the Indian media. Manik Mandal, a jeweler who had gone to Afghanistan six months ago in search of livelihoods, smiled as he said, “We faced many problems in Kabul, but our government saved us.”
Following the chaotic scenes at the US-controlled airport, Reuters reported on Sunday from Kabul that the Taliban had managed to restore some order outside the airport, making sure people were queuing outside the airport. main gates and not allowing crowds to gather on the perimeter. A Taliban spokesman was quoted as saying the group was working to provide a “fluid exit” to the people.
The return of Indian diplomats and other officials to Kabul on a military plane comes just a week after India withdrew all diplomatic personnel from Afghanistan. The withdrawal of 192 members of Afghanistan’s diplomatic staff had some criticism, as the Taliban repeatedly assured all Kabul diplomats that they would not face any security threats. Taliban spokesman in Qatar Suhail Shaheen had said so YOU that he did not want India to remember his diplomats. According to Kabul reports, the Taliban even escorted Indian and other diplomats to the airport last week to facilitate their evacuation.
Junior Foreign Minister V Muraleedharan said on Sunday that there were about 500 people stranded in Afghanistan “according to the preliminary estimate” and that the evacuation was taking place in an “impeccable” manner.