All-party meet on Afghanistan begins; EAM to brief floor leaders

New Delhi [India], August 26 : The all-party meeting, called by the Centre to discuss the current situation in Afghanistan, began on Thursday.
Leaders of several political parties are attending the meeting, which comes at a time when India is evacuating its citizens from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and LoP in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge are in attendance.
PM Narendra Modi had asked the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to brief floor leaders of all political parties on the recent developments in Afghanistan.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will brief the floor leaders of all the political parties.
Opposition parties had also asked the government to issue a statement on the Afghanistan crisis.
Afghanistan plunged into crisis after the Taliban entered the presidential palace in the Afghan capital on August 15 and declared its victory over the government after months of violence across the country
India, on August 17, had also announced that it would issue an emergency e-visa to Afghan nationals who want to come to the country in view of the prevailing situation in Afghanistan after the Taliban captured power there.
India has evacuated 626 people including 228 Indian citizens from Afghanistan till Tuesday.
On August 17, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) and instructed all concerned officials to undertake all necessary measures to ensure the safe evacuation of Indian nationals from Afghanistan in the coming days.