Afghanistan going through difficult times, says envoy to India

Farid Mamundzay believes that only good leadership, compassionate attitude and international support to the Afghan people would bring an end to ‘miseries’

Taliban insurgents: File Picture

TT Bureau, PTI   |   New Delhi   |   22.08.21: Asserting that the "suffering" of Afghanistan is man-made, the war-torn nation's Ambassador to India Farid Mamundzay on Sunday said his country is going through a difficult time, and only good leadership, compassionate attitude and international support to the Afghan people would bring an end to "miseries".

Mamundzay also appreciated the words of sympathy and support messages from all "Indian friends" and the diplomatic missions in New Delhi over the suffering of Afghans in the past few weeks.

His remarks come days after the Taliban swept across Afghanistan, seizing control of almost all key towns and cities, including capital Kabul, in the backdrop of the withdrawal of the US forces.

"I appreciate the kind words of sympathy and support messages from all Indian friends and the diplomatic missions in New Delhi over the suffering of Afghans in the past few weeks, particularly the last seven to eight days," Mamundzay said on Twitter.

"The avoidable suffering of Afghanistan is man-made and at a scale beyond all civilised contemplation," he said.

Afghanistan is going through a difficult time, and only good leadership, compassionate attitude and international support to the Afghan people "would somewhat bring an end to these miseries", the envoy said.

India on Sunday brought back nearly 400 people, including 329 of its nationals and two Afghan lawmakers, in three different flights as part of its efforts to evacuate its citizens from Kabul in the backdrop of the deteriorating situation in the city after its takeover by the Taliban.

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country as his US-backed government fell with the Taliban gaining control.

In his first comments after he left Afghanistan, Ghani in a Facebook post on August 15 had said he was faced with a "hard choice" between the "armed Taliban" who wanted to enter the Presidential Palace or "leaving the dear country that I dedicated my life to protecting the past 20 years".