New Delhi: Months after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, nearly 100 Indian civilians and more than 200 Afghans are yet to be evacuated from the war-torn nation.
ANI reported that India World Forum (IWF) and several other humanitarian NGOs have demanded the evacuation of stranded Hindu and Sikh citizens from Kabul.
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Manjit Singh, former president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), wrote in a letter addressed to the Prime Minister’s Office, “Sikh leaders and NGOs including the Gurdwara have been receiving several disturbing calls from Kabul from Indian citizens and Afghan nationals of Indian origin. Huh.” (PMO) and senior officials of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The letter dated October 20 said that most of these people are waiting for e-visas despite having valid visa and travel history in India in the past.
Earlier in August, the Ministry of External Affairs had decided that henceforth all Afghan nationals would be allowed to travel to India only on e-Visa due to the prevailing security situation in Afghanistan and streamlining the visa process by introducing the e-emergency ex-variety visa. needed.
In a release dated 25 August, the Ministry of External Affairs said, “Considering some reports that some passports of Afghan nationals have been lost, visas issued earlier to all Afghan nationals, who are not presently in India, shall be withdrawn with immediate effect.” become invalid.”
A letter from the Chairman of Guru Singh Sabha of Kabul, read: “This is in connection with our earlier requests addressed to the Government of India for the issuance of visas to Afghan nationals belonging to the Hindu and Sikh communities i.e. minorities.”
ANI reported that around 208 applications submitted by members of the Hindu and Sikh community of Afghanistan are yet to be processed by the Indian government.
The details of charter flights to evacuate these minorities from Kabul, submitted to the foreign ministry by an Iran-based private travel and logistics company, are also under review, the report said.
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