New Delhi

Taliban’s spokesperson Muhammad Suhail Shaheen has told a Pakistan television channel that India can continue to work in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime.

According to a report in Dawn newspaper, Suhail Shaheen said this on the show “hum Bokhari ke saath late Monday night.

“We won’t allow any nation, group or country to interfere in the state affairs of Afghanistan. India can complete work that it had initiated on the infrastructure and reconstruction projects in Afghanistan, because they are for the people.

“However, if (India) tried to use this land to achieve military objectives or against its rivals, we won’t permit it,” he said to the Pakistani host.

In response to another question, the Taliban spokesman reiterated that if India had incomplete projects, it could complete them, but the policy was clear that the Taliban would not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against anyone.

India is the third largest donor of the fund for reconstruction of Afghanistan. Last year, The year India has signed about $250 million Shahtoot Dam project tp provide drinking water for the resident of Kabul.

The large infrastructure projects completed include construction of a 218-km road between Delaram and Zaranj (on the Iranian border), which provides an alternative connectivity for Afghanistan through Iran; Salma dam and the Afghan Parliament building which was inaugurated in 2015.

In the UNSC, India’s ambassador T S Tirumurhi had said India is executing developmental projects in almost all the provinces of Afghanistan.

Though India has made initial contacts with the Taliban, it’s yet to take a decision on recognizing its government.