Doha: In what can be construed as a signal to establish good ties with India, the Taliban's top leader based in Qatar read out a message in which he said India is a key player in the region and the Taliban wishes to keep intact the cultural, economic, political and trade ties with India like in the past.
Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, the deputy head of the Taliban's office in Doha, made this statement in a 46-minute video broadcasted Saturday on the group's social media platforms and Afghanistan's Milli Television.
Stanekzai is the first senior Taliban leader who categorically made a statement about India. The statement seemed significant while Pakistan that keeps a connection with the Taliban is not in favour of India-Afghan ties.
According to The Indian Express report, Stanekzai has received training from the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun in the 1980s as part of training for Afghan army cadets. India had evacuated its entire people from Afghanistan following the Taliban's seizing power.
"We give due importance to our political, economic and trade ties with India and we want these ties to continue. We are looking forward to working with India in this regard," he said.
Stanekzai's statement underlined the Taliban's willingness to continue the diplomatic and trade ties that India had with Afghanistan in the past. In 1996, he had made a similar overture to India after the Taliban's first takeover of Kabul when he was Deputy Foreign Minister of a caretaker regime.