US-Taliban peace deal will soon be put to test, Indian Foreign Minister S.Jaishankar

New Delhi: – Indian Foreign Minister S.Jaishankar said ‘The Indian message to the United States and the western powers will be, don’t lose what you have earned in Afghanistan, over the last 18 years.’ Jaishankar presented the Indian stand on the US-Taliban peace deal, in measured words. At the same time, Foreign Minister S.Jaishankar said that although the peace deal has been signed between the United States and Taliban, the agreement will be put to a real test in the times to come.

India has invested nearly $3 billion in Afghanistan, which has helped start many development projects in the country. The Afghan population is expressing satisfaction over the Indian investment. At the same time, this investment has also strengthened the Indian relations with the elected government in Afghanistan. But some analysts in Pakistan claimed that this $3 billion investment made by India, in Afghanistan will be lost after the peace deal between the United States and Taliban. Some analysts are claiming that this has increased the Indian concerns.

Foreign Minister S.Jaishankar was speaking at a function organised by the Centre for Policy Research, against this background, in New Delhi. Foreign Minister S.Jaishankar retorted ‘The peace deal signed between the United States and Taliban in Doha was not unexpected for India. These negotiations are being held for a long time now. The negotiations moved forward after a very long time. This is like viewing the movie Pakizah after watching 17 trailers.’

Although the peace deal has been signed, it will be put to test in the times to come. Everything will depend on the progress of the all-party discussion to be held in Afghanistan. The Indian Foreign Minister informed about the challenges faced by the peace deal, making a suggestive statement that it remains to be seen whether Taliban joins the democratic process in Afghanistan or the democratic process compromises with Taliban. At the same time, Jaishankar made the United States and western countries aware of the situation in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan today is hugely different from the Afghanistan of 2000-01 when the United States started a war on terror. Jaishankar said that the Indian message to the United States and western countries would be make sure that there are no actions in Afghanistan, which will threaten the earnings over the last 18 years.

Democracy is holding its roots in Afghanistan in these last 18 years and an elected government is running the affairs in Afghanistan. Women have got rights to education and employment and there are women even in the elected representatives. Development projects have started in Afghanistan and the country is getting transformed. Referring to all this, Foreign Minister S.Jaishankar pointed out the stark reality, to the United States and Western countries that all this is under threat from the Taliban.