Monday, 16 August 2021 | PNS | New Delhi
With the Taliban poised to enter Kabul, an Air India plane, in apparently its last commercial flight from there, on Sunday brought out nearly 130 passengers from there to New Delhi. India is now preparing an evacuation plan to rescue its citizens in the days to come.
The contingency plan includes keeping a fleet of big transport planes C-17 Globemaster and other such aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on standby besides keeping a regular watch on the fast-developing situation in Afghanistan, sources said here on Sunday.
As regards the Air India flight, sources said it was perhaps the last commercial flight of the airline for the time being from the strife-torn country. Moreover, its schedule of three times a week flights remains uncertain.
Many commercial airlines have already curtailed their operations from that country in the last few days as increased military activity especially near Kabul has created problems for operating civilian flight schedules, they said.
On the contingency plan, they said the Government will not put the lives of its staffers at the Indian Embassy and Indian citizens in Kabul at any risk and plans have already been finalised in case they require emergency evacuation.
On the timeline for evacuation of the Indian staffers and citizens from Kabul, they said decisions will depend on the ground situation.
India had already pulled out its diplomatic staff from its consulates in Mazar-Sharif and Kandahar some time back and the local staff was now handling affairs there.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi last week said withdrawing of the Indian personnel from there was a temporary measure.
