S Jaishankar calls on Afghanistan president, vows support amid Taliban violence

NEW DELHI: India redoubled its energies on Afghanistan, as foreign minister S Jaishankar met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Tashkent on Thursday, indicating continued support in the face of a Taliban onslaught.
“Pleased to call on President @ashrafghani. Discussed the current situation in and around Afghanistan. Reiterated our support for peace, stability and development of Afghanistan,” Jaishankar tweeted. He held talks with the US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and deputy NSA Liza Sherwood-Randall on “the evolving situation in Afghanistan”.

The extended parleys come as news continues to come in of the Taliban’s territorial advances across Afghanistan. Reports coming from Badakhshan say the Taliban is reimposing their harsh rules on average people particularly women and girls. Another report spoke of dozens of mortars being fired at the Salma Dam in Herat, which was built by India and is a lifeline for people of that region. Indian security sources say it’s difficult to say how much of the reporting is accurate and how much is part of the Taliban’s propaganda.