Afghan govt comes to India's support after Taliban accused New Delhi of supporting traitors

The Afghan government has come in full support of New Delhi after Taliban's political chief Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai said that India has been supporting traitors in the landlocked South Asian country.

Spokesperson of Afghan foreign ministry Gran Hewad said, "India is one of the biggest donor countries and has helped Afghanistan in development and reconstruction areas, we appreciate their cooperation."

The Afghan government would like to India to play an important role, said Gran and added, "We expect India and other neighbouring countries play a significant role in the Afghan peace process".

The Afghan govt's support for India comes even as US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad has been saying that New Delhi should speak to the Taliban.

Suhail Shaheen spokesperson Taliban Political Office, Doha said the group would like to have positive relations with India and welcomed New Delhi's cooperation in Afghanistan. 

"Based on our national interest and mutual respect, we would like to have positive relations with neighbouring countries including India and welcome their contribution and cooperation in the reconstruction of future Afghanistan," Shaheen said in Doha.

India is Afghanistan's major development partner and has built the India Afghanistan friendship dam in the western province of Herat and the Afghan Parliament in capital Kabul.

The development partnership is premised on five pillars Infrastructure, Capacity Building, Humanitarian Assistance, Economic Development & Connectivity. New Delhi offers 500 Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) slots to Afghanistan annually for capacity building.