Should hold talks with Taliban: Owaisi

Asaduddin Owaisi, head of the Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (MIM) and Lok Sabha member from Hyderabad, on Wednesday urged the government to consider opening a diplomatic channel with the Taliban in Afghanistan as the US troops would leave that country in 2014.

Asaduddin Owaisi, head of the Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (MIM) and Lok Sabha member from Hyderabad, on Wednesday urged the government to consider opening a diplomatic channel with the Taliban in Afghanistan as the US troops would leave that country in 2014.

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Speaking during the debate on motion of thanks to the President's address, Owaisi said, "We have invested crores of rupees in the development of Afghanistan. If we do not engage with them, then we will be allowing our neighbouring country to enter over there and use that territory for antinational activities. Gulf countries have opened an Embassy and are talking to them."

This is the first time any MP has mooted the idea of talking to the Talibans, who could be on their way back to power once the Americans and NATO forces withdraw from the land-locked country.