WORLD

As China, Pakistan mull a joint strategy to push for a global recognition of the Taliban regime in war-torn Afghanistan to further their interests, experts have warned the all-weather allies of long-term losses, especially a blowback effect from the US which may turn its ire on Beijing and Islamabad to avenge its Afghan imbroglio. Since the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul on August 15, China and Pakistan have stepped up contacts amidst a sense of their delight over a humiliating defeat of the US after a 20-year war in Afghanistan despite lingering concerns over the return of the Taliban with all its baggage of the al-Qaeda and the Islamic State terror groups.

Contrary to its oft-stated diplomatic position that it has no favourites in Afghanistan, the Pakistani government is clearly comfortable with the return of the Taliban, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Posted quoted some Pakistani analysts as saying. Within hours of Kabul’s fall, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said the Afghan people had broken the shackles of slavery to the West.

The UNSC members endorsed in one voice a "zero tolerance" approach to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday as the top UN body issued a strong statement under India's Presidency, underscoring the need to ensure a strict check on terror financing and bring perpetrators of terror attacks to justice. The powerful 15-nation Council, currently being presided over by India, issued a Press Statement on ISIL/Da'esh after Jaishankar chaired the Security Council briefing on 'Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts'.

The UNSC briefing considered the 13th report of the Secretary General on the threat posed by ISIL (Da'esh) to international peace and security. Speaking to reporters after the briefing, Jaishankar said that during our deliberations today, all Security Council members with one voice endorsed a zero tolerance approach to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. We are clear that there cannot be double standards and distinctions are really made at our own peril.

The European Union's foreign policy chief branded developments in Afghanistan "a catastrophe" on Thursday and said there had been a failure of intelligence to anticipate the Taliban's rapid return to power.

Addressing the European Parliament, Josep Borrell said about 100 EU staff and 400 Afghans working with the EU and their families had been evacuated, but that 300 more Afghans were still trying to leave.

He stressed Europe's "moral duty" to rescue as many Afghans as possible who had worked for the EU in Afghanistan, but said it would not be possible to get them all out.

As developments in Afghanistan throw up whole new challenges, India and US are doubling down on their partnership.

Government sources said on the ground in Kabul, the US prioritised Indian aircraft at the airport which is currently under their control, to enable India to evacuate its embassy staff and officials in an Indian Air Force aircraft. This helped India move swiftly and virtually in the nick of time.

On Wednesday, Taliban reportedly erected roadblocks and checkpoints in different parts of Kabul severely impacting movement of people heading to the airport. Kabul airport is under US control, which, sources here say, India is depending on to get its people out of Afghanistan in the coming days.

Over 48 hours have passed since the Taliban took control of Kabul. With US President Joe Biden reiterating that the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan by August 31 is final, the Afghan people have little choice but to witness their country slip back into the hands of the Taliban.

Back home, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to take stock of the situation in Afghanistan.

The meeting was attended by senior Cabinet ministers, officials and Rudrendra Tandon, India's Ambassador to Afghanistan, who returned from Kabul barely hours before the CCS meet at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg.