India Holds First Formal Talk With Taliban In Qatar; Raises Concern Over Use Of Afghan Soil For Anti-India Activities

In a major development, India's envoy to Qatar Ambassador Deepak Mittal held a meeting with the head of Taliban's political office in Doha, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai on Tuesday (31 August), reports Economic Times.

The meeting was held at the Embassy of India in Doha at the request of the Taliban. This marked the first instance of India acknowledging a formal contact with the Taliban since Afghanistan fell to the group's control on 15 August.

During the meeting, Ambassador Mittal flagged concerns that the Afghan soil should not be used for anti-Indian activities and terrorism in any manner. To this, Stanekzai has assured that India's concerns will be "positively addressed".

As per the official press release from the Ministry of External Affairs, the discussions between the two sides focused on safety, security and early return of Indian nationals stranded in Afghanistan. The travel of Afghan nationals, especially minorities, who wish to visit India also came up.