New Delhi [India], October 11 : AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has welcomed the government's decision to upgrade the Technical Mission in Kabul to the status of an Embassy of India during Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi's visit to the country.
In an interview with ANI, Owaisi said India's diplomatic presence in Afghanistan is crucial for the country's security and geopolitical interests. He said India should establish a full diplomatic relationship.
Owaisi said he had been advocating ties with the Taliban for a long time, and the BJP had earlier slammed him for talking about the Taliban.
"I welcome it. I stood in Parliament in 2016 and said that the Taliban would come. Talk to them. Many media people and BJP members abused me for talking about the Taliban. Chahbhar Port is of great importance to us. We'll go to Afghanistan from that. Now, how will we leave the influence of that area to China and Pakistan?... Their (Afghanistan) Foreign Minister is here, and the Pakistan Air Force bombed that place," he said.
"Their (Afghanistan) Foreign Minister is here, and the Pakistan Air Force bombed that place. Do you see how it's going?... We should establish a full diplomatic relationship. Our presence there is crucial for the country's security and geopolitical interests. We should have a full-fledged diplomatic relationship," he added.
Afghanistan's Foreign Minister, who is on a visit to India from October 9 to 16, met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday.
He visited Darul Uloom Deoband in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday and met Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind President Maulana Arshad Madani.
Muttaqi expressed his gratitude for being welcomed to Doband, and hoped that the relations between India and the Taliban continue to improve.
"I am thankful to all of you for the warm welcome given to me by everyone in Deoband and the love showered upon me. I will pray to God that India-Afghanistan relations improve further. After the meeting I had in Delhi, I can say that our future is bright. I hope that our visits between Delhi and Kabul increase," he said.
In his remarks on Friday, Jaishankar had said that as a contiguous neighbour and a well-wisher of the Afghan people, India has a deep interest in Afghanistan's development and progress.
"We have a common commitment towards growth and prosperity. However, these are endangered by the shared threat of cross-border terrorism that both our nations face. We must coordinate efforts to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. We appreciate your sensitivity towards India's security concerns. Your solidarity with us in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terrorist attack was noteworthy," Jaishankar had said.
He said that India is fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Afghanistan.
"Closer cooperation between us contributes to your national development, as well as regional stability and resilience. To enhance that, I am pleased to announce today the upgrading of India's Technical Mission in Kabul to the status of Embassy of India," he said.
Answering a query on the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, Owaisi said there is no clarity about the peace plan. He cited media reports and said 65,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military operations and accused Israel of carrying out a genocide.
"But tell me, what will Tony Blair, whose hands are stained with blood, do about it? What will Trump do in the board that will be formed? Where is the Palestinian Authority? There is no clarity on where the Israeli army committing genocide will stop, and what will happen to the Palestinian state? So, we feel they are operating there like a real estate project... But what about the perpetrators of genocide? Will they be punished or not?" he asked.
He criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for praising Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"And most disturbingly, how can the Prime Minister of India praise the leadership of Netanyahu, who has a warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) against him? Why is the Prime Minister praising him? This is a completely genocidal regime. The BJP is repeatedly propagating that Israel helps us, but no one helps. We pay them; no one does it for free...," Owaisi said.