MEA to Brief Floor Leaders of Political Parties on Afghanistan Crisis

Chairing a meeting of CCS on Afghanistan earlier, PM Modi had told officials to ensure safe evacuation of Indians.

Government officials welcome Indian citizens on their arrival from Afghanistan by an Indian Air Forces C-17 aircraft, in Jamnagar on 17 August. Image used for representational purposes only.

(Photo: PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has instructed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to brief floor leaders of political parties on the situation in Afghanistan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday, 23 August.

The briefing will take place at 11 am on Thursday, 26 August.

"Floor Leaders of Political Parties would be briefed by EAM @DrSJaishankar on the present situation in Afghanistan, on 26th August, 11am in Main Committee Room, PHA, New Delhi. Invites are being sent through email. All concerned are requested to attend. (sic)," Union Minister Pralhad Joshi took to Twitter to announce.

The evacuation operations are currently being carried out by India from Kabul in the aftermath of the Taliban takeover of the country.

On Sunday, 168 passengers on a special flight from Kabul landed in India. Two other flights carrying around 350 people evacuated from Kabul landed in India from Dushanbe and Doha on Sunday morning.

Chairing a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on the crisis in Afghanistan last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had told officials to ensure safe evacuation of all Indian nationals, provide refuge to Sikh and Hindu minorities wanting to come to India, and provide all possible help to Afghanistan citizens looking for assistance from India.

"India must not only protect our citizens, but we must also provide refuge to Sikh and Hindu minorities who want to come to India and we must also provide all possible help to our Afghan brothers and sisters who are looking towards India for assistance," PM Modi was quoted as saying.

The Taliban took over Afghanistan on 15 August, as President Ashraf Ghani fled, capping days of an unprecedented advance by the insurgent group in which it took over city after city.

Since the Taliban's takeover, chaos has emerged at the airport in Kabul as countries scramble to evacuate their citizens as well as Afghans working with them, while locals are desperate to flee the country.