NEW DELHI: In its first official communication with India since forming the government in Afghanistan, the Taliban on Wednesday wrote to Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) chief Arun Kumar urging him to resume commercial flights between the two countries. The Civil Aviation Ministry is reviewing it.
India had stopped commercial flights from Afghanistan after the Taliban overran Kabul on August 15. “The intention of this letter is to keep the smooth passenger movement between the two countries based on the signed MoU and our national carriers (Ariana Afghan airline and Kam Air) aim to commence their scheduled flights. Therefore, Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority requests you to facilitate their commercial flights,” the letter signed by minister Hameedullah Akhunzada, stated.
Taliban is said to be keen on getting around 1,000 Afghans, who had arrived in India, back home. “India has invested over $3 billion in development projects in every Afghan region, so it’s a valuable partner for whoever runs the country. Afghanistan cannot be reconstructed without some form of Indian assistance. The first step is to resume flights,” said Russia-based analyst Andrew Korybko.