All Afghan citizens must travel to India only on an e-visas, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced on Wednesday amid the turmoil in Afghanistan after the Taliban’s takeover.
On August 17, the government had announced a new category of electronic visa to fast-track the applications of Afghans who wished to travel to India. The new category is called “e-Emergency X-Misc Visa”.
The Centre took note of reports of the passports of Afghans being misplaced. “Previously issued visas to all Afghan nationals, who are presently not in India, stand invalidated with immediate effect,” the government said on Wednesday. “Afghan nationals wishing to travel to India may apply for e-visa at www.indianvisaonline.gov.in.”
Thousands of Afghan citizens are scrambling to leave the country after the Taliban’s return to power. Over the last few days, distressing visuals showing people pursuing aircraft on the runway and clinging to planes even as they prepared for takeoff have emerged from Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport.
The United States and its allies are overseeing the massive effort to evacuate Afghans as well as their citizens from Afghanistan. President Joe Biden on Tuesday said that the since August 14, the US has helped with the evacuation of 70,000 people from Afghanistan.
US allies have sought an extension of the evacuation deadline so that more people can be flown out of Afghanistan, according to CNN.
Also read: Afghan government’s legitimacy depends on Taliban’s approach to terrorism: Joe Biden
But Biden remained determined to evacuate US troops from the conflict-torn country by August 31.
“Every day we’re on the ground is another day we know that ISIS-K [Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province] is seeking to target the airport and attack both US and allied forces and innocent civilians,” Biden said on Tuesday.
The US president added: “Additionally, thus far, the Taliban have been taking steps to work with us so we can get our people out, but it’s a tenuous situation. We already had some gun fighting break out. We run a serious risk of it breaking down as time goes on.”
The Taliban has also insisted that the US complete the evacuation by August 31. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the group will not allow Afghans to be taken out after that.
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