UNSC drops 'Taliban' from statement, hinting change in stance against terror group

Instead of 'Taliban', 'Afghan group' has been used to refer to it in the statement issued on August 27, a day after the blasts near Kabul airport. The statement said 'no Afghan group or individual' should support terrorists operating on the territory of any country.

"The members of the security council reaffirmed the importance of combating terrorism in Afghanistan to ensure the territory of Afghanistan should not be used to threaten or attack any country, and that neither the Taliban nor any other Afghan group or individual should support terrorists on the territory of any other country," this was UNSC's statement on August 16.

The change that came merely in a fortnight was pointed out by Syed Akbaruddin, who served as India's permanent representative in the United Nations from January 2016 to April 2020.

 "A fortnight is a long time. The 'T' word is gone," the former diplomat tweeted.

After Taliban took over Afghanistan on August 15, the last fortnight posed tremendous challenges as countries grappled to evacuate their own citizens, diplomats and security personnel as well as Afghans, who helped them to work in their country. Apart from them, thousands of Afghans fled, fearing the reimposition of the Taliban's strict interpretation of Islamic law.

When the Taliban was advancing in the country, its fighters looted people, killed civilians and top officials alike, and burned their houses. The Daily Mail reported that whenever the extremists captured a new town or district, they issued orders through the speakers of local mosques for the names of wives and widows of all local government officials and police personnel to be handed over.

In the midst of all the mayhem, powerful blasts at the airport Thursday evening killed over 100 hapless Afghans, who were desperately trying to escape. 13 US service personnel and 28 Taliban fighters were also killed.

 The United States conducted a 'retaliatory' airstrike in which one ISIS-K planner and facilitator have been eliminated.

After the attacks, the Vice-President of the erstwhile civilian government of Afghanistan Amurullah Saleh, who has vowed to resist the Taliban, asked the world to unite against terrorism. "The world must not bow to terrorism. Let's not allow Kabul airport to be the site for humiliation of humanity & "rules based world order". Let's believe in our collective effort and energy. Defeatist psyche puts you under risk more than terrorists. Don't die psychologically," he tweeted on Friday.

He also said the Taliban was denying links with ISIS but it has learned the tactic from its master - Pakistan.

After the blasts, the Taliban expedited forming what it said "an inclusive caretaker government" in Afghanistan, reported Al Jazeera.

They said a supreme leadership council has been convened to decide the form of the future government and nominate ministers, stated the Al Jazeera report.

Ministers to the judiciary, internal security, defence, foreign affairs, finance, information portfolios as well as a special assignment for Kabul’s affairs are to be nominated.

According to reports from Afghanistan, the Haqqani network has taken control of the capital city led by Anas Haqqani, brother of Sirajuddin Haqqani, head of the terrorist group and deputy leader of the Taliban. Sirajuddin Haqqani is said to be passing instructions from Quetta in Pakistan, stated a Hindustan Times report.

Haqqani network is said to be the most radical and violent branch of the Islamist movement. It has inflicted the deadliest attacks in Afghanistan in the last 20 years, killing hundreds of people. 

The terror group was established by Jalaluddin Haqqani, who helped CIA achieve its objectives in the 1980s. He later joined hands with the Taliban and went on to be a minister between 1996 and 2001.

The religious head of the Taliban, Mullah Haibatullah Akundzada, is still based in Karachi in Pakistan, according to the HT report.

In these circumstances, whether or not to accept the Taliban rule in Afghanistan is a critical question facing all countries.

India has clarified that the safe evacuation of its citizens is currently the government's priority.

The situation on the ground is uncertain (in Afghanistan). The primary concern is the security and safety of people. Currently, there is no clarity about any entity forming a government in Kabul. I think we are jumping the gun regarding recognition," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Friday.