Long-time Taliban ally Haqqani Network looks at Kashmir as being beyond its "jurisdiction" and, hence, any interference there would be against its stated policy, the outfit's scion Anas Haqqani said in an interview, coinciding with the last of the US troops leaving the Afghan capital.
Seeking to build on the feelers sent by Taliban leader Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai to the Indian government, Anas said that the new regime in Afghanistan wanted a "good relationship with India" and was "ready to forget everything and take the relationship forward."
The Haqqani Network is an Afghan guerrilla insurgent group that has been part of the Taliban since 1995. Anas is the youngest son of the late founder of the outfit, Jalaluddin Haqqani. Anas said that just as his outfit wouldn't meddle on the Kashmir issue, the Haqqanis would expect others not to interfere in Afghanistan's internal matters.
On whether that commitment also meant the Haqqani Network wouldn't support Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba's terror activities in Kashmir, Anas dismissed all such talk as "propaganda" and distanced himself from Pakistan vis-a-vis J&K.
He alleged that the Indian media ‘is spreading negative propaganda about us’ and ‘spoiling the atmosphere.’ "We don’t want anyone to think wrong about us. India has helped our enemy for 20 years but we are ready to forget everything,” he said. Allaying fears that Indians stranded in Afghanistan might be targeted, Anas claimed "everyone is safe in Afghanistan".
He said that since taking over Afghanistan, the Taliban had proved it would carry everyone along. “There was some panic and fear initially, but now things have settled and people are happy. Afghan Sikhs and Hindus are like any other communities of Afghanistan and they would live happily.” On pending development projects in Afghanistan involving India, Anas said the Taliban would seek help not only from India but also the rest of the world to continue the work.
