Govt must ensure US-Taliban deal does not adversely impact India's security interests

The Congress on Saturday said the government must ensure that the US-Taliban peace deal does not have any adverse effect on India's security and its interests are protected.

The Opposition party's comments came just ahead of the signing of a landmark deal between the US and the Taliban. The deal was signed later in the day.

The deal laid out a timetable for a full troop withdrawal from Afghanistan within 14 months.

Congress' senior spokesperson Anand Sharma said India should not ignore its own security and interests because Taliban has been supporting terrorist Maulana Masood Azhar.

"We hope Prime Minister has discussed the interests of India. The Indian government has to see its own security and interest too to ensure that Taliban does not again target India in any way. India should not ignore its own security," he said.

Keeping this in mind, it has to be seen that there is no adverse effect on India's security, Sharma said.

The US-Taliban deal provides for the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan nearly 18 years after their deployment in the country.