Author: Alastair Lawson in Delhi
Publication: BBC News
Date: November 26, 2001
The Indian Government's special
envoy to Afghanistan, Satinder Lambah, has gone to the German city of Bonn
to observe talks that start on Tuesday on the future of Afghanistan.
In an interview with the BBC shortly
before his departure, Mr Lambah said that India would like to see a broad
based, multi-ethnic government in Afghanistan which did not include any
representatives of the Taleban.
"We want an administration in Kabul
that puts an end to the export of terrorism and extremism," he said.
"We would like to see the United
Nations given an important role in ensuring an end to further violence."
Suffering
Mr Lambah said that above all, India
would like to see everyone concerned with the fighting in Afghanistan to
concentrate on the reconstruction of the country.
"That seems more important than
ever," he said, "especially when its people have suffered so much over
the last few years."
Mr Lambah said that although India
has long supported the Northern Alliance, Delhi did not see its rapid advance
in parts of Afghanistan as a diplomatic triumph.
"We are not attached to any particular
faction or individual, although it's true to say we do have close links
with the present government."
He insisted that India also enjoys
close ties with the majority Pashtun community and had recently been in
contact with Pashtun leaders who are likely to take part in a post-Taleban
government.
"I made this point abundantly clear
in my recent meetings in Kabul," he said.
"Our policy however is that ultimately
it should be up to the people of Afghanistan to decide the make up of any
future government and which elements of the Pashtun community should be
included."
Kashmir concerns
The Indian special envoy to Afghanistan
also repeated concerns expressed by some in the Indian Government that
Taleban militants forced to leave Afghanistan may start to head towards
Indian-administered Kashmir.
"In the past we have had bad experiences
of Afghanistan being used as a factory to export terrorism and extremism.
It now seems as the rest of the world has woken up to this danger as well."
Mr Lambah refused to speculate on
Pakistan's role in recent events in Afghanistan.
But he did concede that there may
be what he called a diplomatic divergence of opinion between Delhi and
Islamabad over the precise make-up of any post Taleban administration.
He pointed out that India and Afghanistan
have long enjoyed close ties.
His government has close links with
the former Afghan monarch, Zahir Shah, he said, and has provided a sanctuary
to thousands of Afghan refugees.
India has also provided a sanctuary
to the widow of the former Afghan President Najibullah who lives in Delhi.
