India News

India, US keeping close watch on Pakistan’s actions in Afghanistan: Harsh Shringla

INDIA is closely engaged with the US on developments in Afghanistan, and both sides have adopted a wait and watch policy towards the Taliban and are calibrating their actions in response to the evolving situation.

India and the US are carefully watching Pakistan’s actions in Afghanistan in light of Islamabad’s role in backing the Taliban, foreign secretary Harsh Shringla said as he wound up a three-day visit to Washington during which the situation in the war-torn country was a key part of discussions.

Shringla also told reporters in Washington on Friday that India has had a “limited” engagement with the Taliban, during which the group indicated it would be “reasonable in the way they handle things”.

His remarks came against the backdrop of the rapidly evolving situation in Afghanistan, where the Taliban is set to form government after sweeping to power in Kabul on August 15. Shringla spoke hours before Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief, Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, became the first senior Pakistani leader to fly into Kabul for talks with the Taliban.

Shringla noted Pakistan has extended backing to the Taliban, and said India and the US will assess Pakistan’s actions in Afghanistan with a “fine-tooth comb”.

“They (US) will obviously see how different players get engaged in the situation in Afghanistan. Pakistan is a neighbour of Afghanistan. They have supported and nurtured the Taliban. There are various elements there that Pakistan supported, so its role has to be seen in that context,” he said.

India is closely engaged with the US on developments in Afghanistan, and both sides have adopted a wait and watch policy towards the Taliban and are calibrating their actions in response to the evolving situation, he added.

Shringla contended that India’s concerns related to Afghanistan, especially the use of Afghan soil for terrorism, had been addressed in a UN resolution adopted last month. This resolution, he said, mentioned UN-designated terror groups such as Jaishe-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

“So we do have concerns about the free ingress that these two terrorist groups have had in Afghanistan, their role and we will watch that carefully,” he said.

Shringla acknowledged that India currently has no immediate substantial engagement with Afghanistan, and described New Delhi’s contacts with the Taliban as limited.

“Our engagement with them (Taliban) has been limited. It’s not that we have a robust conversation. But from whatever conversations we’ve had so far, the Taliban seem to indicate they will be reasonable in the way they handle things,” he said.

“I don’t see members of the international community being passive over the situation in Afghanistan. We are not there on the ground, [we] have no assets there. It’s not like we are not doing anything, we are in touch with every country that has an interest in Afghanistan,” he added.

After months of informal contacts with the group, India’s ambassador to Qatar, Deepak Mittal, held talks with senior Taliban leader Sher Mohammed Abbas Stanekzai on Tuesday, the first officially acknowledged contact between the two sides. During the meeting held at the Taliban’s request, the India side raised its concerns about Afghan soil being used for anti-India activities and terror.

Shringla met US secretary of state Antony Blinken and other senior American officials during his visit, and the situation in Afghanistan figured prominently in discussions.

The ISI chief arrived in Kabul with a high-level delegation for talks with the top Taliban leadership on security and other issues. Unnamed Pakistani military officials told the media in Islamabad on Thursday that the ISI chief would work with the Taliban to help reorganise the Afghan Army.

Unlike a low-key visit to Kabul by the CIA chief, Lt Gen Hameed was spotted in the lobby of a hotel along with the Pakistani ambassador and even spoke to Pakistani journalists.

The ISI chief’s visit coincided with reports of divisions within the Taliban over government formation and the allocation of powers. The reports said there were differences between the camp of senior leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and the Haqqani Network, which has long-standing and close ties with Pakistan’s military establishment.

There were also reports of differences between the leaders from the political office in Doha, such as Baradar, and the commanders on the ground, including Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, the son of Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, over the allocation of powers in the new set-up.

People familiar with developments said on condition of anonymity that the ISI is working to ensure security-related departments, such as intelligence, defence and interior, are retained by the Haqqani Network. The ISI chief’s visit to Kabul is being seen in the context of these differences and efforts to protect the interests of the Haqqani Network, the people said.

Thousands of farmers reach Muzaffarnagar for mega rally

MUZAFFARNAGAR: Farmers on all kinds of vehicles — from several UP districts as well as from other states — began to reach Muzaffarnagar earlier this week for the Kisan Mahapanchayat to be held on Sunday.

On Saturday, more than 10,000 farmers from Agra region managed to dodge the local police and travelled through different routes — particularly the smaller village roads — to reach Muzaffarnagar by evening. Police and local intelligence officers had been putting pressure on them not to leave for the event, they alleged.

Samyukt Kisan Morcha has, meanwhile, arranged over 200 buses to ferry farm association workers from Bihar, Bengal, Odisha, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to Muzaffarnagar. Senior members of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) claimed 50,000 farmers left for the city venue from Rajasthan and Haryana on Saturday afternoon.

Farmers to hold mahapanchayat in Muzaffarnagar today

SAMYUkT Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of 40 farmer unions, said thousands of people from across the country were set to take part in the ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’

Security has been stepped up in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar ahead of Sunday’s ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ in the district, with the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of 40

farmer unions, saying that thousands of people from across the country were set to take part in the meeting. The SKM, which is at the forefront of the protest against the three contentious farm laws, said that gathering will prove that their agitation has the support of “all castes, religions, states, classes, small traders and all sections of the society”. 38 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, September, 2021

“The mahapanchayat of September 5 will make the Yogi-Modi governments realize the power of farmers, farm labourers, and supporters of the farm movement. The Muzaffarnagar mahapanchayat will be the biggest ever in the last nine months,” the SKM said in a statement. Muzzafarnagar is the home district of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait,

Fissures emerge in Maharashtra as Raju Shetti hits out at NCP over MLC names

IN response, NCP chief Sharad Pawar expressed surprise and rejected the speculation that the MVA has requested governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to drop Shetti’s name from the list of 12 people recommended to be appointed as MLC.

The ruling Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi’s (MVA) ties with the Swabhimani Paksha, led by Raju Shetti, appear to be souring, with Shetti saying on Saturday that it was up to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to fulfill the promise of giving one seat in the state legislative council to his party “or stab him in the back”.

In response, NCP chief Sharad Pawar expressed surprise and rejected the speculation that the MVA has requested governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to drop Shetti’s name from the list of 12 people recommended to be appointed as MLC. The NCP is one of the allies in the MVA government along with the Shiv Sena and Congress. “The decision has to be taken by the NCP over fulfilling the promise or stab (me) in the back. I don’t care. I didn’t go to them begging for the position. I am in no position for the last over two years but respect for me among the people has not reduced. I will do a correct program at an appropriate time,” Shetti said on Saturday. The term “correct program” was used by BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis at a rally for dislodging the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government in the state.

Shetti is considered a strong farmer leader with good grassroots support. He is currently holding a five-day long march against the MVA government, demanding more relief to the people affected by flooding.

“Based on his contribution in the field of agriculture and cooperation, Raju Shetti’s name was part of the list submitted to the governor by CM and deputy CM. The decision (to appoint him as a MLC) was taken by us but the final decision has to be made by the governor. I am surprised how come he can make such a statement. We have honestly done our work. I have fulfilled the promise made (to him) and am waiting for the governor’s decision,” Pawar said, responding to remarks by the Swabhimani Paksha leader.

who is scheduled to share the stage with SKM leaders Gurnam Singh Chadhuni, Balbeer Singh Rajowal and Yogendra Yadav.

Hundreds of farmers have been camping at Delhi’s borders since November last year, seeking a repeal of the new farm laws, which they say will erode their bargaining power, weaken a system of assured prices, and leave them vulnerable to exploitation by agri businesses. The government has maintained that the laws aim to ease restrictions on farm trade by setting up free markets, allow traders to stockpile large stocks of food for future sales and lay down a framework for contract farming.

Six companies of the provincial armed constabulary (PAC) and two companies of rapid action force (RAF) will be deployed at the farmers’ gathering to maintain law and order, officials familiar with the matter said. DIG of Saharanpur range Preetinder Singh said that the event will be videographed and five SSPs, seven ASPs and 40 police inspectors will be posted on security duty.