India-Russia Discuss Afghanistan Issue, Pakistan Ruling Party Leader Claims Taliban will help “Liberate” Kashmir from India

NEW DELHI, Aug 24: While the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday backed coordinated efforts to establish peace and stability in Afghanistan in order to ensure security across the region, a leader of Pakistan’s ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has said the Taliban was with Pakistan to help “liberate” Kashmir from India.

Modi and Putin discussed the situation in Afghanistan during a phone conversation agreeing to form a “permanent bilateral channel” for consultations on Afghanistan, according to a release from the Russian embassy.

Russia’s decision to work more closely with Pakistan through the “extended troika” format for Afghanistan has not gone down well with the Indian side. The call between the two leaders marked the first major outreach on Afghanistan from the top Russian leadership in recent months.

“Had a detailed and useful exchange of views with my friend President Putin on recent developments in Afghanistan. We also discussed issues on the bilateral agenda, including India-Russia cooperation against Covid-19. We agreed to continue close consultations on important issues,” the prime minister said in a tweet.

The Russian embassy’s release said, “During the exchange of views on the situation in Afghanistan, the sides noted the importance of coordinated efforts which would contribute to the establishment of peace and stability in this country, ensuring security in the region as a whole.”

The two leaders expressed their “intention to enhance cooperation on countering the dissemination of the terrorist ideology and the drug threat emanating from the territory of Afghanistan,” it said.

Modi and Putin further agreed to “form a permanent bilateral channel for consultations” on Afghanistan, it added.

The readout said the two leaders touched upon several issues related to the development of the special and privileged strategic partnership between the two countries, including in trade and economy.

Modi expressed gratitude to Putin for Russia’s assistance in combating Covid-19, including the supply and production of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V in India and the shipment of medicines and medical equipment. The schedule for upcoming contacts between the two sides at various levels was also discussed.

Meanwhile, the remarks by Neelam Irshad Sheikh of Pakistan’s ruling PTI government come at a time when Islamabad has consistently been blamed for fostering the Taliban in Afghanistan, to the point of providing them with medical aids, weapons and logistics.

Speaking at a television news debate, the PTI leader said, “Taliban have said they are with us and they will help us in [liberating] Kashmir.” In the video, the news anchor repeatedly asks Sheikh about the source of her information, even wondering at one point if she read about such a declaration by the Taliban on WhatsApp.

“Madam, do you realise what you have said. You have no idea what you just said. This show will air around the world; it will be viewed in India as well,” the news anchor asks the PTI leader.

However, Sheikh emphasises on her statement that Pakistan has the strength of its Army as well as the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan to help them “free Kashmir from India”.

Sheikh further said the way Pakistan supported the Taliban when the latter was being hounded in Afghanistan, the militants said they would return the favour by helping Pakistan “make Kashmir a part of its country.”

Soon after taking over Afghanistan’s capital city Kabul and declaring rule over the country after nearly 20 years, a Taliban official had termed Kashmir to be a “bilateral and internal matter” and stated that the group is unlikely to focus on the Indian Union territory.

Another video recently surfaced online that showed students of radical Jamia Hafsa seminary in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, celebrating the triumph of the insurgents in Afghanistan by reciting poems and displaying the group’s flags.

The seminary’s chief hailed the students for their support of the Taliban and said he wanted Islamic Emirate to expand beyond Afghan borders. However, Islamabad administration claimed that they have removed Taliban flags from the seminary’s building.

The Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan had also made a statement earlier stating that the Taliban take-over meant “breaking of slavery” in Afghanistan.

(Manas Dasgupta)