India-Afghan ties to deepen post-withdrawal of NATO troops: envoy

As the withdrwal of NATO troops draws nearer, Afghanistan today said its "very steady" relationship with India is only going to deepen post-2014.

"As Afghanistan goes through a transition, I think that transition should also be a transition for the region in terms of policies, vision for one another," Afghanistan Ambassador to India Shaida Abdali said.

He said Afghanistan's relationship with India is "very steady" and New Delhi has no exit strategy in 2014 and beyond. "So, this is going to be a relationship that is going to deepen in future."

Asked about the sitution of minorities in Afghanistan, especially Hindus and Sikhs, Abdali said "Afghanistan will only be complete as a nation if it has all segments of its society including Sikhs and Hindus."

"Unfortunately, in the last few years, more in the Taliban-era, Sikhs and Hindus left... we know why they left. That was not an Afghan-represented government that could protect them," he said while addressing journalists at the Press Club of India here.

Abdali pointed out that a seat each in Parliament was now reserved for Sikhs and Hindus and it was an example of how much the Afghanistan government and people respected Afghan Sikhs and Hindus.

"We hope that we will have the return of all Sikhs and Hindus to Afghanistan, that will be the completion of our Afghan society," he said.