Russia, Iran confirm participation at dialogue on Afghanistan to be hosted by India
New Delhi(PTI): Russia, Iran and almost all central Asian countries have confirmed their participation at a regional security dialogue on Afghanistan to be hosted by India on November 10, official sources said on Friday.
Pakistan's media comments to not participate in the dialogue is unfortunate but not surprising and it reflected Islamabad's mindset of viewing Afghanistan as its "protectorate", they said.
The sources said Pakistan's comments against India on the matter are an unsuccessful attempt to deflect attention from its "pernicious role" in Afghanistan.
India is hosting the dialogue to discuss the overall security situation in Afghanistan following the Taliban's capture of power in the country.
The meeting will be held at the level of the national security advisers of the participating countries. India's NSA Ajit Doval will chair the dialogue.
Two earlier meetings in this format have been held in Iran in September 2018 and December 2019, the sources said adding the third meeting in India could not be held earlier due to the pandemic.
"There has been an overwhelming response to India's invitation. Central Asian countries as well as Russia and Iran have confirmed participation. The enthusiastic response is a manifestation of the importance attached to India's role in regional efforts to promote peace and security in Afghanistan," said a source.
It is for the first time that all Central Asian countries and not just Afghanistan's immediate land neighbours are participating in this format, the sources said.
They said invitations for the dialogue have been extended to China and Pakistan too, and formal responses are awaited.
"However, Pakistan has indicated through the media that it will not attend. Pakistan's decision is unfortunate, but not surprising. It reflects its mindset of viewing Afghanistan as its protectorate," the source said.
"Pakistan has not attended the previous meetings of this format. Its media comments against India are an unsuccessful attempt to deflect attention from its pernicious role in Afghanistan," it said.
The sources said the high-level participation in next week's meeting hosted by India reflects the widespread and growing concern of regional countries about the situation in Afghanistan and their desire to consult and coordinate with each other.
India has an important role to play in this process, they said.
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Metro services begin in Bhopal; excited residents flock to take rides, selfies
Bhopal (PTI): On the first day of the commercial run of the Metro services in Bhopal on Sunday, hundreds of residents enthusiastically took rides, expressing confidence that it will save time and provide relief from traffic jams.
An official said that the Metro’s first service began at 9 am from the AIIMS station, and by 6 pm, 5,731 people had travelled on the new mass-transit corridor.
He said that people, along with their family members, had been lining up for tickets since early morning. Several users were seen taking selfies and photos inside the Metro rakes and at stations.
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Earlier on Saturday, Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav inaugurated the Metro service by flagging off a train from Subhash Nagar station on a 7.5-kilometre stretch, called the “Priority Corridor”.
With this, Bhopal became the 26th city in the country and the second city in Madhya Pradesh, after Indore, to have the Metro service.
Rao Singh, who took a Metro ride, told PTI Videos that besides saving time and money, the new mode of transport will provide relief from traffic jams and pollution.
Another passenger, who identified himself as Chetan, said he was happy that Bhopal is now on the “Metro list”.
Office-goers will benefit a lot due to the Metro service, said a young man named Akshay.
While the estimated cost of the 30.8-km-long Bhopal Metro project is Rs 10,033 crore, a sum of Rs 2,225 crore was spent on the ‘Priority Corridor’, according to officials.
