LIVE: Afghanistan now emancipated, we seek no revenge, says Taliban

Afghanistan crisis LIVE updates: An IAF aircraft today left from Kabul to India carrying the Indian ambassador and other personnel as part of the emergency evacuation

1:01 AM

Italy's premier vows to protect Afghans' rights

Italy's prime minister is vowing that Italy will remain committed to promoting and protecting fundamental rights in Afghanistan, especially of women, following the Taliban takeover and the evacuation of Western diplomats and military forces.

 

Italy, which holds the rotating presidency of the Group of 20 industrialized countries this year, is the natural forum to launch a process of collaboration among countries including China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, in addition to Europe, Premier Mario Draghi said.

 

In an interview with state-run RAI television, Draghi paid tribute to the 53 Italian soldiers killed and 700 injured during Italy's 20-year participation in the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan and said Italy was looking to the future, not to the past.

12:05 AM

EU suspends development payments to Afghan govt

The European Union is suspending payments of development assistance to Afghanistan now that it has fallen to the Taliban but is weighing whether to boost humanitarian aid to the conflict-ravaged country.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says there can be no payments of development assistance until we clarify the situation with Taliban leaders.

Speaking after chairing a meeting of EU foreign ministers Tuesday, Borrell said the Taliban must respect UN Security Council resolutions and human rights to earn access to the funds. Borrell says that humanitarian help will continue, and maybe we will have an increase, given the number of displaced Afghans, the ongoing drought, and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

11:03 PM

Pak PM Khan meets political delegation of Afghan leaders; says committed to support inclusive govt

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday told an Afghan delegation, led by former vice president Muhammad Younas Qanooni, that Pakistan was committed to support an inclusive government in Afghanistan. The delegation of political leaders from Afghanistan arrived here on Sunday for talks amidst a whirlwind takeover of the country by the Taliban insurgents.

 

Khan's Office said in a statement that he underlined that no other country is more desirous of peace and stability in Afghanistan than Pakistan. He highlighted the importance of all sides working to secure an inclusive political solution, it said.

 

Khan assured of Pakistan's steadfast support for efforts to bring peace in Afghanistan but also added that in the current situation, great responsibility rested on the Afghan leaders to work constructively together to lead Afghanistan on the path of sustainable peace, stability and development, his office said.

10:21 PM

EU ministers weigh Afghan security, migrant challenges

European Union foreign ministers held emergency talks Tuesday to weigh the security implications of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan amid concerns that a widespread fear of hardline Islamist rule will provoke an exodus from the conflict-ravaged country.

 

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the meeting would focus on how to support each other to get EU citizens and local Afghan staffers out of the country, how to deal with the Taliban in the future and how to keep the region stable if people leave Afghanistan in big numbers.

 

We will watch the developments very closely, and those who are now executing power in Afghanistan will be judged by their action, Maas told reporters in Berlin. We will especially focus on the stability of the region. The neighboring countries will certainly be confronted with further refugee movements.

9:47 PM

PM Modi chairs high-level meet on Afghan situation; directs refuge to Sikh, Hindus wanting to come to India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday directed officials to ensure safe evacuation of all Indian citizens from Afghanistan and to provide refuge to Sikhs and Hindus wanting to come to India from there, as he chaired a crucial high-level meeting in the backdrop of the Taliban takeover of the war-torn country, sources said.

Chairing a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security, Modi also said India must provide all possible help to its Afghan brothers and sisters who are looking towards India for assistance, official sources said.

Modi directed officials concerned to undertake all necessary measures to ensure safe evacuation of Indian nationals from Afghanistan in the coming days. The Cabinet Committee on Security is the apex government body that deals with the issues of national security.

9:17 PM

Afghan students in India worried about families back home, seek help for stranded compatriots due to Covid

It has been sleepless nights and desperate efforts to contact their families back home for the thousands of Afghan students in educational institutions in various parts of India as they worry about the fate of their kin and country under the Taliban. Many have also appealed to the Indian government to help their compatriots, who had gone back home due to the COVID-19-induced closure of educational institutions, to return to India and to extend their visas.

 

Shukrullah Ahamadi (25), who is pursuing an MBA from a private university in Pune, said he has not spoken to his family in Afghanistan for the last three days, a period which saw the fall of Kabul.

 

"The situation back home is terrifying and scary. We never imagined such kind of a situation. In my hometown in Logar province, which is hardly 50 km from Kabul, the Internet and telephone services are completely shut and I am not able to connect with my family," he said.

8:50 PM

Spokesman: Taliban to honor women's right within Islamic law

A Taliban spokesman has pledged to honor women's rights, but within the norms of Islamic law. Zabihullah Mujahid made the comment Tuesday at his first news conference. For years, he had been a shadowy figure issuing statements on behalf of the militants. His assertion that the Taliban would protect women's rights comes after the Taliban's earlier rule saw women's lives and rights severely restricted. (AP)

8:45 PM

LIVE: Afghanistan now emancipated, we seek no revenge, says Taliban

LIVE: Afghanistan now emancipated, we seek no revenge, says Taliban

8:21 PM

Govt says committed to safe return of all Indian nationals from Afghanistan

The main challenge for travel to and from Afghanistan is the operational status of Kabul airport, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday. "This has been discussed at high levels with our partners, including by our External Affairs Minister with the US Secretary of State. The government of India is committed to the safe return of all Indian nationals from Afghanistan and will institute flight arrangements once Kabul airport opens for commercial operations," it said. (PTI)

7:51 PM

Taliban checks at Kabul airport hindering evacuation of Afghans: German foreign minister

Taliban checks at Kabul airport hindering evacuation of Afghans: German foreign minister

7:50 PM

Taliban takeover in Afghanistan worries dry fruit traders in India

The Taliban takeover in Afghanistan has adversely impacted the import-export trade in India -- the largest beneficiary of Afghanistan's exports -- a development that has left traders, especially those importing dry fruits, worried. Afghan exports to India include dried raisins, walnut, almond, fig, pine nut, pistachios, dried apricot, and fresh fruits such as apricot, cherry, watermelon, and medicinal herbs. India's exports to Afghanistan include tea, coffee, pepper and cotton, toys, footwear, and various other consumable items, traders said. (IANS)

7:30 PM

PM Modi chairs meeting in backdrop of Afghanistan situation: Sources

6:56 PM

NATO chief blames Taliban takeover on 'failure of Afghan leadership'

NATO chief blames Taliban takeover on 'failure of Afghan leadership'

6:45 PM

Jaishankar says embassy staff evacuation from Kabul was a difficult exercise

6:44 PM

View: As the Taliban rise in Afghanistan, the liberal West crumbles

These are surreal times In Afghanistan. In a matter of hours, the old order had folded like nine pins and all that was left were the ruins of the last two decades.The new order is yet to emerge fully but the contours of that order can be discerned based on the past experience of the Afghan nation and the region. Read more