Following the desertion of Afghanistan by President Ashraf Ghani, the country has slipped into the hands of Taliban forces. Extraordinary scenes are seen in the Afghan capital Kabul, where terrified individuals rush to escape from the country.
India is attempting to evacuate hundreds of its citizens and authorities, which is grasped by dread and frenzy after the rapid events.
INDIA’S PLAN OF ACTION
Over the last few days, the Indian embassy has also been flooded with visa requests. The Kabul airport is currently the primary option out of the country, with the Taliban dominating all land border crossings.
According to people following developments in Afghanistan, India has prepared for all contingencies and eventualities, including removing its embassy employees in Kabul and Indian citizens stranded in the country.
Several Indians and Afghans, boarded an Air India flight late Sunday night (August 15, 2021).
According to reports, the Indian Air Force has a fleet of C-17 Globemaster military transport aircraft on reserve to carry out evacuation missions.
According to sources, India would not jeopardise the lives of its diplomatic employees and people in Kabul, and arrangements have already been finalised by chance they require emergency evacuation.
India, however, has offered no proper remark and made no formal comment on Afghanistan’s fast-paced advancements.
The foreign affairs ministry has yet to issue a formal statement on the new developments in Afghanistan.
The Indian Air Force (IAF), as per reports, has been entrusted with keeping one of its aircrafts fit to be conveyed to bring back those stuck there.
However, the airspace over Afghanistan is shut, and all global flights are getting redirected. This includes flying over them.
They indicated that the decision on when the evacuation will take place would be based on the situation on the ground.
CONGRESSES COMMENTS
The situation in Afghanistan is tremendously frightening, and India’s strategic interests are at risk, according to Congress top spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.
Still, the government has not put in place any strategy to evacuate its citizens, which he claims is an abdication of duty.
According to the Congress lawmaker, the Taliban and Haqqani Network’s ties to Pakistan’s ISI, JeM, LeT, and JuD are well-known.
The Geopolitical interests and their influence on J&K must be revisited urgently in this context.
According to Surjewala, the prime minister and the minister of external affairs must come out and clearly state our position for the safe return of our people and embassy workers, as well as our future relationship.
At this critical time, unexplained silence raises the fair suspicion that the Modi government is concealing something from the country.
CURRENT SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN
There are reports of plundering as all the police posts have been cleared. Every one of the vegetable business sectors and supermarkets is shut.
There are fears that the interest administrations will be closed down and admittance to cell phones will be limited.
There have been reports of sporadic gunfire in Kabul since late last night. The Puli-Charkhi Central Prison has released its inmates.
The Talibs have dispatched their men to every home and business establishment, including banks, ordering that they hand over whatever weapons they may own.
EVACUATION PROCESSES BY OTHER COUNTRIES
As the situation in Kabul worsened, the US and numerous other countries’ embassies began to evacuate their personnel.
“There are no preparations to evacuate the embassy in Kabul,” said foreign ministry official Zamir Kabulov, “because the Taliban has given Russia security assurances for its missions.”
Pakistan has opted to keep its embassy in the country open. The US is removing all personnel from the embassy in Kabul within the next 72 hours, including top officials.
Canada and Sweden are reportedly planning to withdraw their staff from the Kabul embassy. Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ann Linde, said that all embassy workers in Kabul, Afghanistan, will be evacuated by Monday.
