Lambah, special envoy on Afghanistan

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, OCT.31. The Government today appointed Mr. S.K. Lambah as its special envoy on Afghanistan as part of its effort to acquire a higher profile in the war-torn nation.

Mr. Lambah has served as India's High Commissioner in Pakistan, Germany and Russia. He is also one of the prominent members of the recently-created division on energy in the Ministry of External Affairs. Mr. Lambah will participate in discussions on Afghanistan with the visiting French Foreign Minister, Mr. Hubert Vedrine, tomorrow. Similar discussions will also be held with the Greek Foreign Minister, Mr. George A. Papandreou and the British Special envoy on Afghanistan, Mr. Robert Cooper on Friday.

The appointment follows a series of measures adopted by India to push its profile in Afghanistan.

India has already pledged $ 100 million worth food aid and other humanitarian supplies. A loan for a similar amount has also been announced for reconstruction.

New Delhi has been supporting the Northern Alliance, which is battling the Taliban in Afganistan. India runs a hospital in Farkhor, not far from the Tajikistan's border with Afghanistan. India has also become one of the leading players supporting the Tajiks who reside in large numbers in Afghanistan and are represented in the Northern Alliance.

Amplifying India's interest in Afghanistan, the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, has written to the leaders of 12 countries to convey that the Taliban should not find any role in a post-conflict government in Afghanistan. Mr. Vajpayee's letter was sent on October 27 to the five permanent members of the Security Council apart from Italy, Germany and Japan, and Afghanistan's neighbour-Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Iran. Sources here said that India will not find any difficulty in accommodating Pashtun leaders in a future government in Afghanistan, provided they have not been subverted by Pakistan.

Sources say India is keen to involve the U.N. in ushering in Afghanistan's political and economic transition.

In fact, New Delhi would like all the 12 countries, besides itself, to be part of a new U.N. sanctioned grouping that would oversee the return of normality in Afghanistan.

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