Afghan’s Taliban Wants to Engage New Delhi in Dialogue, Ready to Accept Kashmir as India’s Internal Matter
Report By Nandika Chand | Kashmir Srinagar| Last Updated at May 21 2020
Over the past two years, the Taliban has flaunted its radical Islamic profile as a political player in Afghanistan and had an upper hand in the Afghan – US peace deal.
Following ‘fake news’ of Taliban calling for jihad in India, the Taliban has shown its intent to engage India in dialogue. Amid a new round of international diplomacy, the Afghan group has expressed readiness to ‘accept’ Kashmir as ‘India’s internal affair’.
On Monday, the Taliban in a statement said it does not support Pakistan’s style of Ghazwa-e-Hind (holy war against India). Suhail Shaheen, the spokesman of Taliban Political Office in Doha, said they don’t interfer in any domestic issues of any country. This comes after fake tweets, “friendship between Islamic Emirate and India is impossible and Islamic Emirate will capture Kashmir from infidels” made rounds. Shaheen also said that Indian officials who opposed engagement with the Taliban were following a failed policy. “They should speak for the interests of a few at the saddle of power in Kabul.” He said despite a lot in Afghanistan, India could not find a proper place among the masses of the country.
Former ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, P.Stobdan said the Taliban was clearly saying that its open to communication with India. He said India, on its part, should not miss this opportunity as it may not be available forever. “New Delhi must also unambiguously ascertain whether the Taliban have taken a strategic decision of engaging with India, or have merely launched a tactical manoeuvre, from where it could backtrack in the future,” the diplomat said.
Over the past two years, the Taliban has flaunted its radical Islamic profile as a political player in Afghanistan and had an upper hand in the Afghan – US peace deal. After coming to power in 1996 with support from Pakistan, the group has been wanting to restore the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
