Female officers of Afghan Air Force, Military off to India

A batch of female officers of the Afghanistan's air force and military on Tuesday left for India for training purpose. The Tolo News quoted the Indian Embassy in Kabul as saying, "For the first time, a batch of 20 Lady officers from the Afghan Army and Afghan Air Force departed for a training module at Officers Training Academy, Chennai." "Ambassador of India H E Manpreet Vohra addressed the officers prior to their departure," it further added. This comes a day after Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani hailed India's contribution in various sectors of the country. Emphasising that India is a good partner, President Ghani insisted that the Afghan government is committed to further strengthening bilateral cooperation with India. The President made the remarks during a meeting with the members of the Lower and Upper Houses of the Parliament to brief the lawmakers regarding his recent foreign trips and interactions, Khaama Press reported. Dismissing misperceptions regarding the presence and role of India in Afghanistan, President Ghani said the Afghan government has no hidden deal with any country and no foreign state will be allowed to use the Afghan soil against the neighbours of the country. According to Khaama Press, he further said that Kabul has shared interests with New Delhi and the Afghan government will continue to use the economic opportunities provided by India for the development of the country. Pakistan has long been opposing the presence of India in Afghanistan but Afghan officials have repeatedly rejected such stance and even the United States has endorsed the constructive role of New Delhi in the rehabilitation of Afghanistan. India has played a vital role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban regime and has invested over USD 2 billion in various projects.