AFGHANISTAN DEPUTY NSA ASSURES SAFETY OF INDIANS

NEWDELHI: Weeks after seven Indians were kidnapped in Afghanistan, the country’s National Security Advisor Haneef Atmar on Wednesday assured a highlevel delegation from New Delhi that Afghan authorities will work hard to ensure the security of all Indian citizens.

Atmar gave the assurance during a meeting with the delegation led by deputy national security advisor Rajinder Khanna. The seven Indians, all engineers working on a power project, were kidnapped in northern Baghlan province on May 6.

Without making any reference to the abducted Indians, Atmar tweeted: “We assure you that we will work hard to ensure the security of Indian citizen in Afghanistan.” He added that the two sides will elevate and expand security cooperation. The two sides discussed the situation in Afghanistan, Atmar’s office told the Afghan media.

During the meeting, Atmar made a presentation on the general security situation in the country.

India “not only believes but also acts on the principle of an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned effort for peace and security”, Khanna was quoted as saying by Qadir Shah, the spokesman for the Afghan National Security Council.

Khanna also said India would “stand firm with Afghanistan to fight terrorism and contribute to bringing peace in Afghanistan and in the region”.

India has played a key role in Afghanistan’s reconstruction since the fall of the Taliban regime and has invested more than $2 billion in various projects.