India has strongly condemned Pakistan for conducting airstrikes in Afghanistan, calling the attacks a violation of the UN Charter and international law. Parvathaneni Harish, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN spoke of the humanitarian impact, urging full protection for civilians in a region already facing deep crises.
“We add our voice to calls for paying full respect to the United Nations Charter and international law with particular attention to the protection of innocent civilians,” the envoy said.
This comes after Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid alleged that Pakistan carried out attacks in Kandahar’s Spin Boldak region, a charge Islamabad rejected by claiming that Afghan forces had opened “unprovoked fire’’ along the Chaman border.
“Pakistan remains alert and firmly committed to safeguarding its territorial integrity and its citizens,” said Mosharraf Zaidi, spokesperson for the Pakistani prime minister. The incident unfolded barely 48 hours after the two sides wrapped up another round of talks.
Trade and transit restrictions called ‘terrorism’
India also raised “grave concern” over what it described as Pakistan’s practice of ‘trade and transit terrorism’, citing the closure of key access routes for Afghanistan. As a landlocked country, Afghanistan depends heavily on cross-border movement for essential supplies. India said such restrictions violate WTO norms and amount to “open threats and acts of war” against a fragile nation struggling to rebuild.
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Reaffirming support for Afghanistan
India reaffirmed its strong support for Afghanistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence. It urged pragmatic engagement with the Taliban, stressing that international policy should focus on incentivizing positive actions rather than relying solely on punitive measures.
India warned that continued unilateral measures risk perpetuating the “business as usual” dynamic seen over the last four and a half years. It called on the UN and the global community to adopt nuanced policy instruments that deliver sustainable benefits to the Afghan people.
India also shed light on the ongoing threat from UN-designated terrorist groups such as ISIL, Al-Qaida, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and their proxies, including the Resistance Front. It urged coordinated international efforts to prevent these groups from engaging in cross-border terrorism or receiving operational support.
