Over 200 Indians including Foreign Ministry staff and paramilitary soldiers tasked for their protection are yet to be evacuated from Afghanistan's capital Kabul, told sources.
An Indian aircraft is parked at the chaotic Kabul airport, sources said, adding the big concern is how to safely bring the staff from the Indian mission compound to the airport. The Taliban has enforced a curfew in the city, they said.
The Indians stranded in Kabul include some 100 personnel of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police or ITBP, tasked with protecting the Indian mission in Afghanistan.
Indian people want to return home, but are angry due to mismanagement. A video of these people surfaced.
In this they say – There is no one to hear anything here. Our phone is also not being picked up and flights are also not known. Look outside, bullets are being fired.
An Indian released a video saying - "There are many Indians with me. We can't even go out, because there is firing. There is also a fear of thieves and robbers here." We don't know when the Air India flight is coming. The time was given at 12.30 pm. No one is picking up the phone at the embassy. We don't have any information at the moment. There are 4 lakh people standing outside the airport. You guys please help us."
According to reports, India has sent C17 Globemaster aircraft to Kabul to evacuate its citizens. On Sunday also 129 Indians were brought to Delhi. Some Afghan MPs and diplomats have also reached India.
Also read: Desperate Afghans clung to plane fall from sky as flight takes off from Kabul
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has appealed to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to make arrangements to bring back all the Indians, including 200 Sikhs, from Afghanistan at the earliest.
Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday said that the ministry of external affairs and all central government departments, responsible for bringing back stranded Indian nationals from Afghanistan, will make necessary arrangements for their evacuation.
“Ministry of external affairs (MEA) and others who are responsible for it will make all the arrangements,” Puri said.