New Delhi: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah batted for dialogue with the Taliban on Saturday (September 25).
The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said that India has invested billions in Afghanistan so there is no harm in engaging with the new Taliban regime in the war-torn country.
Abdullah told ANI, "Taliban is in power in Afghanistan now. India spent billions on different projects during the last regime in Afghanistan. We should talk to the current Afghan regime. When we’ve invested so much in the country so what`s the harm in keeping relations with them?`”
Taliban is in power in Afghanistan now. India spent billions on different projects during the last regime in Afghanistan. We should talk to the current Afghan regime. When we've invested so much in the country so what's the harm in keeping relations with them?: Farooq Abdullah,NC pic.twitter.com/nwluRb4Uso
— ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2021
Further, the National Conference chief also urged the Centre to initiate dialogue with farmers who have been protesting against the three farm laws since November last year at the borders of the national capital. He asserted that the central government should form new laws for the agriculture sector with inputs from farmers.
Commenting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s current US visit, Abdullah told the news agency, "I am sure that PM Modi must be talking to all leaders, including the US President Joe Biden. There is no doubt that terrorism is eating the whole world. But who started terrorism? Who attacked Iraq?... Who bombed Libya despite the UN`s warning? Which is the terrorist nation that destabilised the other nations."
He stressed that terrorism is a global menance and said it should be ensured that all the countries are safe. "All the powerful nations have to collectively make sure that no nation is weak,” the NC chief said.
Earlier in September, Farooq Abdullah, speaking on the Taliban, had said, “I hope Afghans run their country peacefully and respect the basic human rights values.”
The Taliban captured Afghanistan’s capital Kabul on August 15, resulting in a total collapse of the then President Ashraf Ghani government. The Taliban formed an interim government on September 7 and announced Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund as their head and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar as the deputy PM.
(With agency inputs)
