A flight from Kabul arrived in Delhi late Sunday evening, carrying Indian nationals as well as members of the collapsed Afghan government.
Air India flight departed from Kabul at 6.06 pm and landed in Delhi at around 8 pm.
Shiv Kiran, a resident of Hyderabad, who was in Kabul on a business trip, said life was as usual in the city till his departure.
“I went there on Monday as I had to fulfill some business commitments. This flight was my pre-booked flight… When I was in Kabul, I was listening to the news and talking to my local business partners there. No one expected this change. They thought the president would fight back… It was normal, normal life in Kabul, there was no sense of conflict outside in the city until this morning… My family was worried, although they were following the news from here,” Kiran was told Indian Express.
Some members of the Afghan government, who arrived in Delhi, said they reached India to assess the situation and decide whether it would be safe for them in their country under the Taliban.
“People were very scared because we have seen Taliban violence 20 years ago and it was very bad, but this time it doesn’t seem so violent. I come here to see how the situation is for a week or 10 days, and then hopefully I can go back. I decided to leave today. My family members are still there, they could not get their visa, but I could come because of my diplomatic visa,” said Rizwanullah Ahmadzai, who was a senior advisor to the President.
Ahmedzai said as of Sunday the embassies were active, working on issuing visas, but they are likely to close in the next few days.
Afghan nationals who reached Delhi on Sunday night included Pakhtia province MP Syed Hasan Pakhtiawal, who claimed that he had come to Delhi to attend some meetings.
“I didn’t want to leave the country, but we have meetings here. Hope I can go back soon… Taliban are not the same so I hope everything will be fine but right now the situation is very bad, especially tonight. From where I have come, now the whole of Afghanistan is under Taliban, including Pakhtia.
Another MP Abdul Qadir Zazai also claimed that he had reached regularly.
“I have not left due to the current situation. I am here for a few days to meet my friends, do business… The future looks 50-50. As far as the government is concerned, senior positions will cease to exist – the lower level of government employees under the interim government will reportedly stay for 6 months – but with regard to our security, according to him [Taliban] Announcement, everyone will be safe,” he said.
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