India Important For Afghanistan, Want To Maintain Good Relations: Taliban Leader

There are ongoing discussions among the Taliban leadership and different ethnic groups and political parties about the formation of an “inclusive government”

Taliban fighters patrol on the streets of Kabul (Image: AP)

New Delhi: With the exit of the US troops from Afghanistan and Taliban forming the Cabinet, senior leader of the outfit Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai said it wants to maintain trade, economic and political relations with India while describing it as an important country in the region.

Maintaining ties with India

While addressing a conference in Pashto, Stanekzai said consultations with various groups and political parties are going on to form a government in Kabul that will have representations from people from “different walks of life”, according to PTI report.

 “We attach great importance to our trade, economic and political relations with India and want to maintain that relation,” Stanekzai said in a nearly 46-minute video posted on the Taliban’s social media platforms on Saturday.

Stanekzai is the first senior leader of the outfit to make a statement on relations with other countries since they captured power in Kabul on August 15.

 The leader also said there is a need to keep the air trade open, as per the Pakistani media outlet Independent Urdu. This was in the context of the air corridor between India and Afghanistan that was established to push trade between the two countries as a result of Pakistan's denial to allow transit access.

Stanekzai also described India as an “important country” in the region. The Taliban leader emphasised Afghanistan's trade with India through Pakistan is crucial.

What about the formation of government in Afghanistan?

There are ongoing discussions among the Taliban leadership and different ethnic groups and political parties about the formation of an “inclusive government” in Kabul.

 “Currently, the Taliban leadership is consulting with different ethnic groups, political parties and within the Islamic Emirate about forming a government that has to be accepted both inside and outside Afghanistan and to be recognised,” Stanekzai was quoted as saying by Tolo News.

The leader also mentioned its relations with China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Russia. He went on to thank Pakistan for hosting millions of Afghan refugees and said Afghanistan wants to have brotherly relations with Pakistan.