NEW DELHI, Nov 7 : Amid reports that the Afghan Taliban regime in Kabul is set to appoint its first diplomat in New Delhi, India today hedged on the question whether the move would be tantamount to giving recognition to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, at a briefing, instead said that India is planning to increase the strength of its own embassy in Kabul that was last month upgraded from the status of a technical mission, following the landmark visit of the Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to India and his talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
The spokesperson said: “We had the visit of the foreign minister of Afghanistan to India recently. Since then, we’ve also had several exchanges in terms of development cooperation as also telephone conversations between the External Affairs Minister and the Foreign Minister of Afghanistan.
“We will let you know as and when we have more information in this regard.
“As far as our own embassy, the upgrading of our technical mission in Kabul is concerned, we told you that it has been upgraded to an embassy and we are looking at its functionalities, its functions, responsibilities, how we’re going to increase its strength.
“So these are things that are under consideration, and it will happen subsequently,” he added.
The answer came to a question on reports that with the Afghan Taliban planning to a post a diplomat in New Delhi, then on what level would that appointment be, and would it also imply that the existing flag of Afghanistan will be changed and the Islamic Emirate’s flag put up instead. And would it not be tantamount to India giving recognition to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
Despite the visit of the Afghan Taliban FM Muttaqi to India last month and his talks with EAM Jaishankar, and India regularly sending humanitarian aid and providing other assistance, New Delhi has refrained from formally recognising the Islamic Emirate regime in Kabul.
India has been the first responder following two recent earthquakes in Afghanistan, losing no time in sending humanitarian assistance in the form of tents, medicines, food stuffs, blankets, etc.
The Afghan Taliban regime, in turn, has assured that they will not allow their territory to be used for any terrorist activity against India, which is a big reassurance coming in the backdrop of Pakistan’s covert backing of terror activities against India.
Also the worsening relations between Kabul and Islamabad are seen as working in India’s favour. During FM Muttaqi’s visit to New Delhi, Pakistan launched air strikes on Kabul and other areas in Afghanistan, in what was seen as a warning to the Taliban regime against getting too close to India. New Delhi has also upped the ante and voiced open support for Afghanistan’s territorial integrity.
(UNI)
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