Kabul, Afghanistan – Head of the Islamic Emirate political office in Qatar Suhail Shaheen encourages India to reopen its embassy in Kabul, according to reports, saying the caretaker Afghan government will provide “full security” to all its diplomats in the country.
He made the remarks during an interview with The Print, an Indian media outlet, saying “we have announced time and again that it is our commitment to provide security to all diplomats working in Kabul.”
Backing its security measures to all foreign diplomats in the country, Shaheen said “it is our responsibility and we have proved that” support to diplomats of other countries and that it will do the same to all Indian officials.
“There are many embassies working in Kabul and we have provided full security to them. That also includes India if they want to open their embassy,” Shaheen said, as quoted by The Print.
Shaheen said India should establish ties based on national and mutual interest with the current Afghan government and should cut relations with the officials of the former Afghan officials.
“They (India) are welcome if they want to complete their projects or to initiate new ones,” Shaheen told the The Print.
Meanwhile, analysts believe that India’s relations with the Islamic Emirate will benefit Delhi, suggesting unofficial ties with the group to secure economic interests.
“India is keen to have at least unofficial relations with the Taliban to secure its economic interests and to monitor the situation in Afghanistan,” said Noorullah Raghi, a former diplomat.
“India is a country which has had influence in the economic and underground development of Afghanistan since the time of Zahir Shah,” said Walif Frozan, an analyst of international relations.
This came after some Indian media outlets recently reported that Delhi is seeking to reopen its embassy in Kabul, as the country bids to maintain economic relation and regional trade and transits.
India and Afghanistan have a strong relationship based on historical and cultural links. The relationship is not limited to the governments in New Delhi and Kabul, but has its foundations in the historical contacts and exchanges between the people.
On 4 June 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani formally inaugurated the $290-million Salma Dam with a capacity of 42 MW power generation.
Water from the dam will also serve irrigation purposes. The dam is expected to help Afghanistan capitalize on opportunities that will open up once the India backed Chabahar project, linking the port in Iran to Central Asia’s road and railway networks, is completed.
Salma Dam, officially the Afghan-India Friendship Dam, is a hydroelectric and irrigation dam project located on the Hari River in Chishti Sharif District of Herat Province in western Afghanistan.
