<p><a href="/en/afganistan/kabul" class="glossify-link">KABUL</a>.</p>
<p>India’s concerns essentially flow from <a href="/en/pakistan" class="glossify-link">Pakistan</a>-aided militant outfits such as Jaish-i-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-i-Taiba (LeT), which are allegedly fight alongside Afghan Taliban.</p>
<p>During the August siege of Ghazni City, The Hindustan Times reported, JeM and LeT rebels fought in support of the Taliban.</p>
<p>The US and Taliban have stepped up contacts. As China and Russia have accelerated consultations with the Modi government on the situation in <a href="/en/afghanistan" class="glossify-link">Afghanistan</a>.</p>
<p>According to the newspaper, India has legitimate security interests in Afghanistan, where instability could lend a boost to JeM and LeT activities.</p>
<p>LeT has been blamed for a series of deadly strikes in India, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Similarly, JeM claimed responsibility for the February 14 suicide attack in Pulwama.</p>
<p>In order to protect its interest, the daily said, India continued to stay in contact with government in Kabul, regional and opposition leaders and representatives of Tajiks, Uzbeks and Hazaras.</p>
<p>China’s special envoy on Afghan Affairs Deng Xijun recently made a quiet visit to New Delhi for talks on peace and reconciliation efforts in the war-hit country.</p>
<p>Meetings between the Taliban and US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad focused on guarantees that Afghan soil would not be used by al-Qaeda and its affiliates.</p>
<p>Russia, China, Iran, the US and the European Union supported India’s stance that any deal with the Taliban should not undermine the gains made by Afghanistan since 2001.</p>
<p>The current Afghan democratic set-up and rights of <a href="/en/women" class="glossify-link">women</a>, minorities and ethnic groups must not be affected by any US-Taliban peace agreement, India has stressed.</p>
<p>“The US statement after Khalilzad’s visit to New Delhi spoke about preserving and building on the gains of 18 years. This shows others agree with our position,” one unnamed official was quoted as saying.</p>
<p>China and India have decided to train Afghan police and civil servants this year. In 2018, the two countries jointly trained Afghan diplomats,</p>
<p><a href="/en/pan" class="glossify-link">PAN</a> Monitor/mud</p>
