Jaishankar to brief political leaders on Afghanistan crisis; all-party meet on August 26

In a big development, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will brief floor leaders of political parties on the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. He mentioned that PM Modi had given specific instruction in this regard. This comes at a juncture when the Congress party has questioned the "silence" of the Union government on the issue and demanded a clarification on India's policy vis-a-vis the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi also confirmed that an all-party meeting on the Afghanistan situation will take place at 11 am on August 26. 

India's evacuation efforts

After the Taliban stormed into Kabul on August 15, Afghanistan president Ashraf Ghani resigned and fled the country with his associates. Since then, at least 12 persons have lost their lives in the chaos at the Hamid Karzai International Airport with thousands of people desperately trying to flee the country. From the beginning of the crisis, the Centre has been focused on ensuring security in Afghanistan and the safe return of Indian nationals. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has been in touch with his counterparts of various countries such as the US, the UK, Estonia, and France. 

While India evacuated around 46 people on August 16, nearly 150 individuals including Indian Embassy staff, their families, and security personnel today were rescued from Kabul via a special Indian Air Force aircraft a day later. Meanwhile, PM Modi chaired meetings of the Cabinet Committee on Security on August 17 and 18 to review the evacuation process of the Indians and the steps taken to ensure the safety of Sikhs and Hindus stranded in Afghanistan. As per sources, he called for providing all possible help to not just Indians but Afghan nationals who are seeking assistance from India. 

In another development, the Ministry of Home Affairs introduced a new category of electronic visa called “e-Emergency X-Misc Visa” to fast-track visa applications of Afghans for their entry into India. On August 22, India brought back 392 persons including Afghan lawmakers Anarkali Honaryar and Narender Singh Khalsa, Sikhs and Hindus in three different flights as part of the evacuation mission. Speaking at an event recently to mark the commencement of three new flights, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia stressed that the PM has resolved to bring back every Indian safely.

On August 20, Scindia remarked, "Our Ministry arranged flights every day to bring back all Indian citizens from Kabul in wake of the recent situation in Afghanistan. Until Sunday, our flights were operating every day. After that, the NOTAM notice was issued saying that the Kabul airspace has been closed." Scindia stressed that PM Modi has resolved to bring back every Indian safely.