Old wine in new bottle, strong Pak imprint: Ex-Indian diplomats express concern over interim Taliban govt

A day after the Taliban formed a new interim government in Afghanistan, Indian diplomats on Wednesday termed it "old wine in a new bottle", asserting that it has a strong Pakistani imprint on it which is a "cause of concern" for India.

Terming the new interim government in Afghanistan as "old wine in a new bottle", former Indian diplomats on Wednesday said the cabinet formed in Kabul has dispelled "myths" of Taliban 2.0, and asserted that it has a strong Pakistani imprint on it which is a "cause of concern" for India. The Taliban on Tuesday unveiled a hardline interim government led by Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund, with key roles being shared by high-profile members of the insurgent group, including Sirajuddin Haqqani, a designated global terrorist of the dreaded Haqqani Network with a USD 10 million US bounty on his head, as the interior minister.