"We Can Have Better Ties If India Stops Interfering"

In an exclusive interview to Outlook from Kandahar, Afghanistan, Mullah Wakil Ahmad, one of the founders of the Taliban Islamic movement and an important member of the ruling central Shura (council), talks about the Taliban’s stand vis-a-vis relations with India, which has remained opposed to the students movement. Mullah Wakil served as information minister in the Taliban administration in its headquarters at Kandahar in southwestern Afghanistan, and is secretary to Mullah Mohammad Umar, founder of the movement and now its Amirul Momineen (Commander of the Faithful). Mullah Umar, who has the final word in Taliban decisions, normally speaks his mind through Mullah Wakil. A shy and simple man, Wakil’s family was forced to migrate to Pakistan’s Balochistan province during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Excerpts:

Now that the Taliban holds Kabul, would you welcome an Indian embassy in the Afghan capital?

We had information that the Indian Government, until the very end, was providing political, economic and military assistance to (ex-president) Burhanuddin Rabbani’s illegal and unrepresentative government in Kabul. If India continues to support the defeated Rabbani forces and opposes the Taliban, how can we have normal diplomatic relations?

Do you have any concrete proof of India’s assistance to the Rabbani government?

India was the main air link for the besieged Rabbani administration in Kabul. With Indian help, the Ariana Afghan Airlines was kept afloat. It was used to fly military supplies while operating out of New Delhi. Indian technicians maintained Rabbani’s air force in Bagram air base and kept his warplanes airworthy. India was also providing military spares for Kabul’s Russian-made weapons and Rabbani’s wounded soldiers were being treated in Indian hospitals. India also extended economic assistance to the Rabbani government.

Is it possible for the Taliban government to forego friendly ties with New Delhi, especially in view of the historical Indo-Afghan relations?

The sad aspect of the situation is that in recent years India has been supporting Afghan governments which were hated by the Afghan people. During our ‘jehad’ against the then Soviet Union and its puppet communist regime in Kabul, India opposed the popular uprising of the Afghan people led by the Mujahideen. India opposed our struggle against foreign occupation of our homeland. Until recently, India was trying to strengthen Rabbani’s illegal minority regime in complete disregard of the aspirations of the Afghan people. We certainly can have better ties with New Delhi if India stops interfering in Afghanistan and assures us that Afghanistan’s embassy in New Delhi will not be allowed to be used against the Taliban by Rabbani’s appointees there. This embassy belongs to the Afghan people and Rabbani’s men have no right to misuse its funds and diplomatic immunity.

What do you want from India to improve relations between the Taliban and New Delhi?

We would like India to clarify and assure us that it didn’t provide military assistance to the defeated Rabbani government. The recent statements by certain Indian officials against the Taliban were unwarranted and somewhat provocative. What has the Taliban done to attract Indian ire? We feel India must reassess its Afghanistan policy because it is running against the wishes of the Afghan people. It seems the Indian Government has been formulating its Afghan policy without taking cognisance of the ground situation in Afghanistan. India needs to know a lot more about Afghanistan’s present realities in order to be able to formulate a more realistic Afghan policy.

What are the Taliban’s views on Kashmir and the condition of Muslims in India?

For the moment, we won’t say anything on Kashmir and other issues as the Taliban is yet to form a proper government in Kabul. Right now we have a six-member ruling Shura operating out of Kabul. We will announce our policies once a proper government is formed. But I can assure you one thing. The Taliban brought peace and stability in areas under its control in Afghanistan and it will certainly restore law and order and bring stability in Kabul.

Afghanistan is the heart of Asia and all countries in our region will benefit if Afghanistan is stable and peaceful. Among all Afghan groups, only the Taliban is capable of bringing peace and stability in the country and the region. Our Islamic agenda in itself will have a stabilising effect. We want friendly ties with neighbours and have no intention of either interfering in affairs of other countries or allowing them to interfere in our affairs. We are convinced that India, our other neighbours and the rest of the world will benefit with the Taliban at the helm of affairs in a peaceful and politically stable Afghanistan.