Ahmad Massoud, son of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the 'Lion of Panjshir,' in an exclusive interview to the Indian Express, has alleged that the Taliban regime in Afghanistan has India's "humanitarian support for their own forces and their families, not the people truly in need."
"They are not distributing aid justly, and they give it to one area more than the others based on ethnicity," he added.
He went on to say that, "with all his heart, he is thankful and grateful for the support that India has been giving. I thank the Indian government and amazing Indian people. And I urge them to continue the support because Afghanistan is going towards a humanitarian crisis. The people have nothing to eat."
Via the United Nations' World Food Programme, India is sending 50,000 tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan as a part of its humanitarian aid.
Massoud was also asked about the Indian government's approach to the current Taliban regime compared to the 1990s, when India had covertly aided Ahmad Shah Massoud's Northern Alliance's resistance.
"I think the difference in approach is the hesitation. India is still in the process of assessing the situation. This hesitation is fatal. It is very wrong. And we need immediate action before the ideology takes root or before the terrorist finds a foundation," Massoud said.
He also spoke about Kashmir, and how "the rule of the Taliban will be a safe haven, and especially when there is no legitimate government in Kabul. It is a safe haven for many terrorist groups, Jaish-e-Mohammed and many others, which are a threat to India and to all countries in the region."
"There is a direct link between Afghanistan under the rule of the Taliban and the increase in the violence in Kashmir and also increase in the violence of these terrorist groups, because they see the possibility that if we continue the bloodshed and the terror acts, just like the Taliban, we will also will be supported, we will also be successful in establishing an extremist government somewhere else," he argued.
(With inputs from The Indian Express.)
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