In Touch With Indians In Afghanistan, They Will Be Brought Back After Flights Resume: MEA

The External Affairs Ministry has issued a statement addressing the concerns over Indians stuck in Afghanistan. Prior to this, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh expressed worry over the issue.

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New Delhi: Ministry of External Affairs on Monday responded to concerns raised over Indian nationals stuck in Afghanistan amid the tense situation caused by the rapid Taliban takeover. Notably, this is India's first statement after the Taliban seized Kabul on Sunday.

"The security situation in Kabul, Afghanistan has deteriorated significantly in the last few days. We've been issuing periodic advisories for the safety and security of Indian nationals, including calling for their immediate return to India": MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, as quoted by news agency ANI.

Arindam Bagchi informed about the Ministry of External Affairs' efforts in helping out the Indian nationals in Afghanistan and its capital city Kabul.

"We had circulated emergency contact numbers and had also been extending assistance to community members. We're aware that there are still some Indian nationals in Afghanistan who wish to return and we're in touch with them," the MEA spokesperson added.

Talking about the repatriation efforts, Arindam Bagchi said, "We'll facilitate repatriation to India of those who wish to leave Afghanistan. There are also a number of Afghans who've been our partners in the promotion of our mutual developmental, educational and people-to-people endeavours. We will stand by them".

"Commercial operations from Kabul airport have been suspended today. This has forced a pause in our repatriation efforts. We are awaiting the resumption of flights to restart the process," he informed.

Earlier, talking about the evacuation of Sikhs and Hindus from Afghanistan, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had said that the Ministry of External Affairs and others who are responsible for it will make all the arrangements.

Prior to this, Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh expressed concerns over Indians residing in Afghan.

With the situation getting worse each day, the Chief Minister urged External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar for "immediate evacuation of all Indians, including around 200 Sikhs, stuck in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover".

In a tweet on Monday, Capt. Amarinder Singh wrote: "Urge Dr S Jaishankar, MEA, GoI, to arrange for immediate evacuation of all Indians, including around 200 Sikhs, stuck in a Gurudwara in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover. My govt is willing to extend any help needed to ensure their safe evacuation".

He had sounded a dire warning to the Central government that the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban has ominous signs for India.

"Afghanistan's fall to Taliban doesn't augur well for our country. It'll strengthen the Sino-Pak nexus against India (China has already sought militia's help on Uyghur). The signs are not at all good, we need to be extra vigilant now at all our borders," he tweeted.