Taliban wants friendly relations with all countries including India, says Stanikzai

Stanikzai said that the Taliban will not allow foreign forces to use Afghanistan for their own gains

Ever since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, overthrowing the Ghani-led government, they have been calling for friendly relations with all nations including India. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid has reiterated their stance multiple times in press conferences and asked for other countries to be a part of Afghanitan's recovery process.

Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the Taliban's foreign minister told News18 in an interview that the Taliban want to continue friendly relations with all neighbouring countries including Iran, Pakistan and India.

He said that the Taliban will have friendly relations with the US and NATO too after 20 years of their presence.

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When asked if the Taliban would team up with Pakistan and be hostile towards India, he said that the group did not indicate as such and they had not released any statement to the effect.

He also said, "There was no threat from Afghanistan to any of our neighbours, including India throughout our history and it will not happen at all. There is no doubt that there is a long political and geographical dispute between India and Pakistan. We hope they do not use Afghanistan in their internal fight, they have a long border, they can fight amongst themselves on the border."

When asked about Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan and if the Taliban would help India evacuate them, he said that there is no need to evacuate them. He added that Afghanistan is their home land and can live as they were living earlier. "We hope that Hindus and Sikhs who were in Afghanistan and had migrated to India in the last 20 years would come back soon," Stanikzai added.

The minister said that development projects undertaken by India are their national assets and invited India to restart and complete unfinished projects in the nation. "If somebody is coming and working in your country then you will have to provide them with security. I don’t think there is no need to ask such questions."

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