Studied silence by India amid mixed signals by Taliban

NEW DELHI: The Indian government has opted to maintain a studied silence as Taliban leaders and spokespersons have offered widely divergent views on issues such as Kashmir that have traditionally been red flags to the foreign policy establishment in New Delhi.

Against the backdrop of a discreet outreach towards India by senior Taliban leaders ahead of the formation of a new dispensation in Kabul, Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen caused consternation by telling BBC in an interview on Thursday that the Taliban intended to raise its voice for Muslims in Kashmir and India.

Shaheen’s remarks ran counter to an assertion earlier this week by senior Taliban negotiator Anas Haqqani, also a senior leader of the terrorist group Haqqani Network, that the Taliban has a policy of not interfering in the internal matters of other countries, such as Kashmir, and looked forward to “positive” relations with India.

In a video statement issued a week ago, senior Taliban leader Sher Mohammed Abbas Stanekzai, who is tipped for a senior position in the new set-up in Kabul, said the group wants to continue Afghanistan’s political, economic and cultural ties with India. In remarks that were generally perceived as conciliatory, Stanekzai described India as a “very important” player in the subcontinent and avoided any mention of touchy issues such as Kashmir.

Stanekzai also met India’s ambassador to Qatar, Deepak Mittal, at the Indian embassy in Doha on Tuesday, the first officially acknowledged contact between the two sides.

The external affairs ministry has said the meeting was held “on the request of the Taliban side” and that Stanekzai had assured Mittal that issues raised by the Indian side – including the safe return of Indians still in Afghanistan and Afghan soil being used for anti-indian activities – would be “positively addressed”.

As reported by HT, Stanekzai and Anas Haqqani are apparently spearheading the outreach towards India. Both have spoken to an Indian news channel, though it is rare for senior Taliban leaders to talk to the Indian media.

While most of their comments have been measured and nuanced, the latest remarks by Shaheen have not been viewed positively in some quarters in New Delhi.

In his interview with BBC, Shaheen said the Taliban don’t have a policy of launching armed operations against any country but added: “As Muslims, we also have a right to raise our voice for Muslims in Kashmir, India or any other country.”

His other remarks, related to the Haqqani Network and the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 from Kathmandu to Kandahar by five Pakistani terrorists, are also red flags for India’s security and foreign policy establishment, especially those sections which harbour deep-seated suspicions about the group and its long-standing relations with Pakistan.

Indian, US and Afghan officials have blamed the Haqqani Network for carrying out a suicide car bombing outside the Indian embassy in Kabul in 2008. The attack killed nearly 60 people. Shaheen contended allegations against the Haqqani Network are claims.