Taliban warns India against military presence in Afghanistan, discusses links with Pak

Afghanistan's second-largest capital Kandahar fell to the Taliban on Friday. Closing in on Kabul, the terrorist group has managed to take over large swathes of territory including the crucial provincial capitals of Herat and Lashkar Gah. As threat looms large on Kabul, Taliban Spokesperson Muhammed Suhail Shaheen in an exclusive interview with news agency ANI, discussed the Taliban's outlook towards neighboring countries like India, its relations with Pakistan-based terror groups, and recent attacks on religious minorities such as the Sikh community in the war-torn nation. 

Taliban on relations with India

On being asked if the Taliban can assure India that Afghan soil will not be used against it, the spokesperson claimed that the group's policy was to refrain from using its soil against any country, including its neighbors. "There is no danger from our side to embassies and diplomats. We won't target any embassy or diplomat. We've said that in our statements many times. It is our commitment. We have a general policy that we're committed not to allow anyone to use Afghan soil against any country including the neighboring countries," said Muhammed Suhail Shaheen. 

However, he also addressed India's support to the Afghanistan security forces warning that the 'fate of military presence in Afghanistan was an open book' for everyone to see.

 "If they (India) come to Afghanistan militarily and have presence there, I think that will not be good for them. They've seen the fate of military presence in Afghanistan of other countries, so it is an open book for them," he said. 

Talking about India's financial and infrastructural aid to Afghanistan, the spokesperson stated that the Taliban appreciated everything that India had done for the people of Afghanistan including the building of dams, infrastructure projects, and anything that was for Afghanistan's development, reconstruction, and economic prosperity for people. He stated, "They (India) have been helping the Afghan people or national projects. They did it in the past. I think that is something which is appreciated." 

Taliban on links with Pak-based terror groups

The Afghanistan Government has on repeated occasions slammed the Taliban for colluding with Pakistan forces. They have also accused the country of sending its commandoes to fight within the Taliban ranks. Responding to the allegations Muhammed Suhail Shaheen claimed that these accusations were 'baseless'. 

"They're not based on ground realities but on basis of their certain policies towards us, and on the basis of politically motivated goals," he claimed.

Taliban addresses attack on Nishan Sahib

With the Taliban's takeover, several incidents of attacks on minority communities have been coming to the fore. Recently, the Taliban has removed ‘Nishan Sahib,’ the Sikh religious flag from the roof of a gurdwara in the Chamkani area of Paktia province in eastern Afghanistan. Addressing the incident, the Taliban spokesperson claimed, "that flag was removed by Sikh community themselves."

(With Agency Inputs)