India to prune Afghan presence temporarily

New Delhi, March 10: Following intelligence inputs of Indian establishments and Indians in Afghanistan on the radar of terror outfits, India is reworking its strategy to secure its citizens while keeping its commitment to the developmental projects initiated in that country.

The Kabul attack of February 26 targeting Indians has put the security establishment on its toes who are not taking any chances and are likely to issue advisories asking Indians working in private companies in Afghanistan to take adequate measures to remain safe while cautioning them about the risks at the same time.

Additional ITBP personnel are likely to be deployed at various Indian establishments in Afghanisatan.

The government sources said that India might also examine the option of pruning their strength if it becomes absolutely essential.

Another immediate step under consideration by the government is to “re-locate” some of the Indians working in private projects in Afghanistan, as many of them remain scattered making it difficult for security forces to ensure their safety.

There are around 4,000 Indians working in various government and private projects which include roads, power, IT, telecommunication, hospital, educational institutes etc.

The move follows an assessment made by the national security adviser, Mr Shivshankar Menon, during his visit to Kabul last week to discuss the security for Indians.

Meanwhile, the external affairs ministry spokesman, Mr Vishnu Prakash, “categorically dismissed” as “baseless and factually incorrect” reports that India is planning to scale down its presence in Afghanistan and is issuing advisories asking its citizens to return home.

He said India’s commitment to its development partnership with Afghanistan “remains undiluted.” Apart from the embassy in Kabul, Indian has consulates in Herat, Kandahar, Mazar-e-Sharif and Jalalabad.