NEW DELHI: The Taliban setup in Kabul has been reaching bent the Indian side to explore the continuation of contacts in several fields, starting from the resumption of economic flights to scholarships for Afghan students, people conversant in developments said on Wednesday.
These contacts have come at a time when the Indian government has indicated it’s in no hurry to recognise the interim cabinet created by the Taliban, which is dominated by hardliners and members of the UN-designated Haqqani Network. The people cited above said on condition of anonymity that there had been no formal response to any of the Taliban proposals.
The Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority, which is now controlled by the so-called “Islamic Emirate” of the Taliban, sent a proper communication to India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on September 7 regarding the resumption of economic flights between the 2 countries from Kabul airport.
The letter, addressed to DGCA chief Arun Kumar and signed by “acting minister” Hameedullah Akhunzada, contended that the Kabul airport was “damaged and [made] dysfunctional” by American troops before their withdrawal last month. The airport has been made operational again with aid from Qatar and a NOTAM or “notice to airmen” during this regard had been issued on September 6, the letter added.
The intention of this letter is to stay the graceful passenger movement between two countries supported the signed MoU and our National Carriers (Ariana Afghan Airline & Kam Air) aimed to commence their scheduled flights. Therefore, Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority requests you to facilitate their commercial flights,” the letter said.
In recent days, Taliban officials like acting secretary of state Amir Khan Muttaqi have reached bent the Indian side through intermediaries to require up issues like pass by Afghan students who have secured scholarships offered by the Indian government, the people cited above said.
Muttaqi was reportedly keen that Afghan students holding Indian scholarships, including those awarded for the 2021 school term , should be allowed to visit the country.
The people said the Indian side is in no hurry to require a turn recognising the Taliban setup or to reply to the messages from the Taliban, especially at a time when no other country has established official relations with the dispensation in Kabul.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently cautioned the planet community to not rush on the difficulty of recognising the new setup in Kabul because the change of power in Afghanistan was “not inclusive” and was done “without negotiation”.
State-run Air India stopped flights to Kabul on Assumption , when the Taliban marched into the Afghan capital following the collapse of the Ashraf Ghani government. The Afghan airspace was declared “uncontrolled” on August 16.
On Sunday, the Taliban-run foreign ministry involved the resumption of international flights, promising full cooperation with airlines and insisting that each one problems at Kabul airport had been resolved. The appeal was a part of the Taliban’s efforts to open up Afghanistan and gain international acceptance.
As the problems at Kabul international airport are resolved and therefore the airport is fully operational for domestic and international flights, the [Islamic Emirate] assures all airlines of its full cooperation,” foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said.
A limited number of aid and passenger flights are operating from Kabul, but normal commercial services are yet to resume. On September 13, state-run Pakistan International Airlines became the primary airline to fly a passenger flight in and out of Kabul in a few month.
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