External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar today said that the government is strongly committed to ensuring full evacuation of all Indians from Afghanistan. He made the remarks during an all-party meet, convened to brief on the situation in Kabul.
On being asked about India’s approach towards the Taliban, Jaishankar, according to The Indian Express, said: “The situation in Afghanistan has not settled, let it settle down.”
India was trying to evacuate as many people as possible from Afghanistan, the minister said and asserted that evacuating Indian personnel was a “top priority”, according to some of the participants at the meeting.
“India, which holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council for August, also chaired a special session on Afghanistan and made a statement at a session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Besides, India is involved in international coordination and humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan,” Jaishankar told the MPs, according to a Hindustan Times report.
The Indian embassy issued a series of security advisories for Indian nationals on June 29, July 24, and August 10 and 12. The final advisories asked Indians to leave immediately and warned them about the discontinuation of commercial flights.
The government has so far evacuated a total of 565 people, including 175 embassy personnel, 263 other Indian nationals, 112 Afghan nationals, including Hindus and Sikhs, and 15 nationals of third countries. The government also facilitated the evacuation of Indians by other agencies.
