India brings back 50 nationals from Mazar-i-Sharif in Afghanistan

Amid the turmoil in Afghanistan, India has brought back 50 of its nationals from Mazar-i-Sharif. The special flight from Mazar reached Delhi early morning today. The development comes even as the Taliban has reached the gate of the city which is the capital of northern Balkh province. The province borders central Asia and is key to Afghanistan's connectivity with the region. The Indian consulate in Mazar on Tuesday made an announcement that a special flight will be taking off from the city and will bring back Indian nationals in that part of Afghanistan. 

India has around 1500 of its nationals in the country involved in various development works. In a security advisory, the Indian mission in Kabul has asked "all Indian nationals...to made immediate travel arrangements to return to India before commercial air services are discontinued to their place of stay/visit in Afghanistan". 

The development comes even as India is evacuating its diplomats from its Mazar consulate amid an increased spectre of violence as the Taliban makes territorial gains. India has already brought back its diplomats from Kandahar in Southern Afghanistan. Meanwhile, India's embassy in Kabul remains fully functional. 

The next 48 hours will see two key meetings on Afghanistan in Doha. One is the Troika plus meet involving China, US, Russia plus Pakistan. Thursday will see a regional conference on Afghanistan in the city to which India has been invited. The invite was extended during the visit of the Qatari Special Envoy for Counter-Terrorism and Mediation in Conflict Resolution Mutlaq Al Qahtani to Delhi last week. During India visit, he met India's external affairs minister S Jaishankar, foreign secretary Harsh Shringla, JP Singh Joint Secretary PAI, and Secretary (CPV and OIA) Sanjay Bhattacharya

New Delhi has been leading diplomatic engagement and last week as the President of the United Nations security council hosted a meet on Afghanistan. At the meet, India's envoy to United Nations T S Tirumurti called on the Taliban to engage in "negotiations in good faith", "eschew the path of violence" & "severe ties with the Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations" at the United Nations Security Council meeting on Afghanistan. The meet that took place days after Afghan Foreign minister Hanif Atmar called India's external affairs minister S Jaishankar to hold a meet as the situation deteriorates in his country. 

At the meet, Afghanistan exposed Pakistan's support to the ongoing Taliban offensive in the country how the group continues to enjoy a "safe haven". Afghan envoy to the United Nations Ghulam M Isaczai, speaking at United Nations Security Council said, "Taliban continue to enjoy a safe haven in and supply and logistics line extended to their war machine from Pakistan."