UNB :
India Tuesday began direct communication with the Taliban since the terrorist group’s lightning takeover of Afghanistan two weeks back.
Indian envoy in Qatar Deepak Mittal held talks with Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, the head of the Taliban’s Political Office in the Gulf state, at the country’s Embassy in Doha, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
At the meeting, Ambassador Mittal raised India’s concern that Afghanistan’s soil should not be used for anti-Indian activities and terrorism in any manner, to which Stanekzai assured him that these issues would be positively addressed, according to the statement.
“Discussions focused on safety, security and early return of Indian nationals stranded in Afghanistan. The travel of Afghan nationals, especially minorities, who wish to visit India also came up,” it added.
