Woman diplomat part of Indian team sent to meet Afghan leaders
NEW DELHI: Against the backdrop of repeated calls for protecting the rights of Afghan women and their inclusion in all aspects of life, a woman diplomat was part of the Indian team that travelled to Kabul for meetings with senior Taliban leaders.
Deepti Jharwal, who is desk officer for Afghanistan in the crucial Pakistan-afghanistaniran division of the external affairs ministry, was in the team sent to Kabul on Thursday to make an assessment of the delivery of India’s humanitarian assistance for the Afghan people.
An officer of the 2011 batch of the Indian Foreign Service, Jharwal participated in a meeting with Taliban acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and visited the Habibia High School in Kabul that was renovated by the Indian government some years ago. Jharwal has also done a stint in the Indian embassy in Italy in the past.
The team, which was led by joint secretary JP Singh, who heads the Pakistan-afghanistan-iran division, met senior members of the Taliban and held discussions on India’s humanitarian assistance. The team, which included representatives from security agencies, also toured a children’s hospital, a school and a power plant built with Indian support.
People familiar with the matter said the woman diplomat’s inclusion in the team was an apparent signal to the Taliban setup on the need to ensure inclusion of Afghan women and children in all aspects of life. The people also pointed out women officials were conspicuous by their absence from delegations sent by several Western countries to Kabul.
Besides Muttaqi, the Indian team also met acting deputy foreign minister Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai.