New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said it is in “touch with all concerned”, after reports of an Indian national being kidnapped in Kabul emerged.
As per media reports, 50-year-old Bansri Lal Arendeh was kidnapped on Tuesday morning in Kabul near his medicine shop.
“We are in touch with all concerned. We have seen reports of local authorities taking investigations into this matter. We will continue to monitor the situation,” said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi at the weekly media briefing.
He, however, refused to expressly state that India was in touch with the Taliban authorities regarding the kidnapping.
While India has not formally recognised the Taliban government, the Indian ambassador to Qatar had met with the head of the Taliban’s political office in Doha, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai. When quizzed if there had been any further communications, he said, “I am not aware of any other formal contacts after the meeting with our ambassador.”
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Bagchi also indicated that Arendeh was an Indian passport holder, contradictory to earlier reports of him being an Afghan of Indian origin. “I am given to understand that he is an Indian citizen, but we are also checking that part.” Arendeh’s family were living in Faridabad.
He added that there was no prospect of evacuating remaining Indians in Afghanistan till Kabul International Airport became functional. “Till operations at Kabul airport are not resumed, it is difficult to say how to bring them back. Our focus is that operations at Kabul airport resume. Then, it will be easier for us to bring back the people,” Bagchi said.
According to several media reports, the Taliban intelligence department issued a notice ordering an investigation into the kidnapping.
The Tribune reported that local community members had met security authorities on Wednesday and submitted a complaint, following which the Taliban announced that their “021 unit of intelligence department” had taken over the case. The notice apparently stated that urgent action should be taken to trace Arendeh.
India had brought back around 560 persons from Kabul on six evacuation flights. It included a substantial number of Afghan Hindus and Sikhs, but around 200 were still left in Kabul after the evacuation operation was stopped following the complete withdrawal of US troops from the airport.