Taliban needs to eschew path of violence, cut ties with terror groups: India

Taliban has launched a massive offensive against the Afghan government with heavy fighting being witnessed in Herat, Kandahar, and other provinces.

New Delhi: India's envoy to United Nations T S Tirumurti on Friday called on the Taliban to engage in "negotiations in good faith", "eschew the path of violence" and "severe ties with the Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations" at the United Nations Security Council meeting on Afghanistan. The meet that took place under India's presidency of the top UN body happened days after Afghan Foreign minister Hanif Atmar called India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar to hold a meet as the situation deteriorates in his country.  Tirumurti said that the Taliban should "fully commit itself towards reaching a political solution" and "violence and military threat cannot be used to strengthen the negotiating position of any side" for which a "tangible demonstration of this commitment is required." Taliban has launched a massive offensive against the Afghan government with heavy fighting being witnessed in Herat, Kandahar, and other provinces. The Indian envoy also pointed that "any regime devoid of legitimacy in Afghanistan would find it difficult to garner much needed humanitarian and developmental assistance from the international donor community." Important to remember that the Taliban is keen to get global legitimacy even as the group has been visiting Tehran, Moscow, and Beijing to garner support.