Pakistan plays key role to foster Taliban: US lawmaker
Washington: Republican lawmaker of US has said that Pakistan and its intelligence agency ISI had played a key role in fostering Taliban and its takeover of Afghanistan on August 15.
The Republican lawmaker Steve Chabot further said that it is disgusting to watch Islamabad celebrate the Taliban’s victory in Afghanistan and aftermath of its brutality in that Country.
Steve Chabot, who is the Co-Chair of the India Caucus, said in an address on Sunday that he appreciated India for offering help to the Afghan religious minorities who have a good reason to fear persecution at the hands of the Taliban and their evil rule, PTI reported.
“In contrast, we all know that Pakistan and particularly its intelligence services played a key role fostering the Taliban and allowing them to eventually take over. It's just disgusting to watch Pakistani officials celebrate the victory of this group that will bring untold brutality to the Afghan people,” Chabot said.
“Pakistan's own persecution of religious minorities, however, gets a lot less attention here in America than it deserves. We would do well to educate our fellow citizens about these abuses. Persecution is particularly manifested in the heinous practice of the kidnapping, forceful conversion to Islam, and forced marriage of underage Hindu girls to older Muslim men,” US lawmaker added.
Read: Taliban denies reports of abduction of Indians in Kabul
After the Taliban took over Kabul, thousands of Afghan people rushed to Kabul International Airport to leave the war-torn nation. India has announced a special visa category called ‘e-Emergency X-Misc Visa’ to facilitate the grant of visas to Afghan nationals seeking refuge. All Afghans, irrespective of their religion, can apply for the ‘e-Emergency X-Misc Visa’ online and the applications will be processed in New Delhi.
Moreover, in line with its historical ties with the Afghan people, reports have said India will prioritise granting visas to civil society members, opinion makers, women activists, students, and NGO workers from Afghanistan in view of the current situation in the country PTI said.
