Plea In Delhi High Court Seeks Evacuation Of Indians, Afghan Nationals Of Indian Origin Stranded Amid Taliban Rule

A public interest litigation has been filed before the Delhi High Court seeking directions on the Centre to issue E-Visas to Indians or Afghan Nationals of Hindu and Sikh origins stranded in Afghanistan amid Taliban rule.

The petition has been filed by Parminder Pal Singh, former spokesperson and media advisor for Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee.

Stating that many Indians and Afghan Nationals were either killed or wounded at hands of the Taliban forces, the plea adds that unfortunately such stranded persons were not able to leave the country despite trying to escape the atrocities.

 "That on the same day ie. on 17 August, 2021, the Ministry of External Affairs (Respondent No. 2) issued a Press Release about the situation in Afghanistan and steps being undertaken by Government of India for evacuation of the stranded Indians and Afghan Nationals. In terms of the said statement, the e-Emergency Visa facility was stated to have been extended by Respondent No. 2 to Afghan Hindu and Sikh nationals also," the plea reads. 

In view of the above, the plea adds that on August 30, the Taliban had issued a press release stating that Afghan Hindus and Sikhs were allowed to travel out of the country provided they had valid travel documents including visa.

The plea therefore states that out of the 216 applications, e-visa was granted by the Ministry of Home Affairs only in 8 cases while leaving the rest.

"That amidst these aforesaid and many other disturbing events, the Afghan Hindus & Sikhs stranded in Kabul and other pats of Afghanistan alongwith Indian nationals continued to make their appeal to the Respondents for their early evacuation but unfortunately, these appeals have till date fallen on deaf ears," the plea adds. 

Stating that while the Government facilitated departure of 106 stranded Afghan Nationals in India back to Kabul, the plea states that no steps were taken to airlift the stranded Indian and Afghan Nationals of Indian origin from Afghanistan to India.

The plea now seeks issuance of e-visa to the 'stranded persons' whose names appear at serial number 13 to 220 at the earliest and without loss of any further time.

It seeks to facilitate the evacuation of all the 227 stranded persons from Afghanistan to India by way of chartered / special flight(s) currently operating out of Kabul, Afghanistan and/or through any other mode as deemed fit and proper.

For this, it is said that Centre may take up the matter with concerned counterpart and International agencies at the highest level for safe return /travel of stranded persons to India and provide security to them till their evacuation.

Case Title: Parminder Pal Singh v. MHA & Anr.