Around 100 Indian Nationals Yet To Be Evacuated From Afghanistan: NGOs Seek Intervention Of PMO, MEA

The India World Forum (IWF) and many other humanitarian NGOs have sought evacuation of stranded Hindu and Sikh citizens from Kabul, ANI reported.

(File Photo/ Getty)

New Delhi: Months after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, around 100 Indian nationals and over 200 Afghans are yet to be evacuated from the war-torn nation.

The India World Forum (IWF) and many other humanitarian NGOs have sought evacuation of stranded Hindu and Sikh citizens from Kabul, ANI reported.

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“Sikh leaders and NGOs including Gurudwara are receiving multiple distressed calls from Kabul from Indian nationals and Afghan nationals of India origin,” Manjit Singh, the former president of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), wrote in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Office (PMO) and senior Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) officials.

The letter dated October 20 stated a majority of these people await e-visas despite having valid visas in the past and travel history in India.

Earlier in August, the MEA had decided that all Afghan nationals henceforth must travel to India only on e-Visa owing to the prevailing security situation in Afghanistan and streamlining of the visa process by introduction of the e-Emergency X-Misc visa.

“Keeping in view some reports that certain passports of Afghan nationals have been misplaced, previously issued visas to all Afghan nationals, who are presently not in India, stand invalidated with immediate effect,” the MEA said in a release dated August 25.

A letter of the president of Guru Singh Sabha Karte Parwan, Kabul, read: “This is in regard to our earlier requests addressed to the Government of India for issuance of visas to Afghan nationals belonging to Hindu and Sikh community i.e., minorities.”

Around 208 applications submitted by the Hindu and Sikh community members of Afghanistan are yet to be processed by the Indian government, ANI reported.

The details of charter flights for the evacuation of these minorities from Kabul, submitted by an Iran-based private travel and logistics company to the MEA, are also under review, the report added.