'Afghanistan potential base for Pak-backed terrorism, India needs to be cautious,' says Shashi Tharoor

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New Delhi: Former minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor said Afghanistan could become a base for Pakistan-backed terrorism and India needs to be extremely vigilant regarding the Taliban crisis.

"There`s going to be a base (in Afghanistan) for very hostile Pak-backed terrorist elements targeting us and potentially a larger recruitment base - a source of fighters who could come & attack us. So we`ll have to watch the situation incredibly carefully," he told ANI on Tuesday (August 17).

Shashi Tharoor, who served as the former secretary-general of the United Nations, added, "I`m not sure if Pakistan should be 100% happy that these guys (Taliban) have come to power, not everyone who has come to power is necessarily going to be pro-Pak.

The situation is incredibly dangerous, certainly for us."Afghanistan`s government collapsed on Sunday with President Ashraf Ghani leaving the country and the Taliban`s entry into the capital, according to media reports.

They seized the presidential palace. Several countries evacuated their diplomatic personnel from the country. Panic gripped the Afghan capital and hundreds of people on Monday flocked to the Kabul airport in an attempt to leave Afghanistan.

(With agency inputs)