E-visa System, Special Afghan Cells: How India Plans to Repatriate Its Nationals From Afghanistan

The sources also added that the Special Afghan Cell is operational 24X7 for responding to requests over calls, emails, and Whatsapp messages.

New Delhi: Soon after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar briefed the leaders at the all-party meet on the Afghanistan crisis, sources told news agency ANI that the Central government has started E-visa system for Afghan nationals. Moreover, Special Afghan Cell was set up on August 16 to coordinate repatriation and other requests from Afghanistan in a streamlined manner. The sources also added that the cell is operational 24X7 for responding to requests over calls, emails, and Whatsapp messages.

Sources also added that in the meeting, the details on recent developments in Afghanistan were shared by the MEA with Floor Leaders of political parties in the Parliament. “As part of immediate measures – evacuation of Indian nationals, the safety of diplomatic personnel, a 24×7  Special Afghanistan Cell has been established in the MEA,” Sources added.

According to the evacuation data shared by EAM S Jaishankar, over 175 Embassy Personnel have been evacuated along with 263 other Indian nationals, 112 Afghan Nationals including Hindus and Sikhs, 15 Third Country Nationals.

E-visa system started for Afghan nationals. Special Afghan Cell was set up on August 16 to coordinate repatriation and other requests from Afghanistan in a streamlined manner. Operational 24X7 for responding to requests over calls, emails, and Whatsapp messages: Sources

— ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2021

Giving further details, Jaishankar said that the Centre is committed to ensuring full evacuation as soon as possible, and also seeing that in terms of any international decisions which are made, any gatherings that are there, that India’s role is recognized. He said that there will be many more meetings in coming days.

“Under Operation ‘Devi Shakti’, we’ve done 6 evacuation flights. We have brought back most of the Indians but not all of them as some of them couldn’t make it for the flight yesterday. We’ll definitely try and bring out everybody. We have also brought out some Afghan citizens,” Jaishankar said.

Jaishankar further added that he briefed the Floor Leaders of all political parties on the Afghanistan situation. “Our focus is on evacuation and the government is doing everything to evacuate people,” he added.

Besides Jaishankar, Union minister and Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi were present during the briefing in Parliament House annexe.

Apart from India’s evacuation mission from Afghanistan, the ministers are also expected to share the government’s assessment of the situation in the war-torn country.

NCP leader Sharad Pawar, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Congress party in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, DMK’s T R Baalu, former rime minister H D Deve Gowda, Apna Dal’s Anupriya Patel are some of the leaders attended the crucial meet.