New Delhi: India today told the UN Security Council that it supports a “pragmatic engagement” with the Taliban, warning that reliance solely on punitive measures will reinforce a “business as usual” approach. It also backed the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan’s (UNAMA) concerns over Pakistan’s recent airstrikes that resulted in the killing of women and children.
Addressing the UNSC meeting on the situation in Afghanistan, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, said that engagement with the Taliban must be coherent and structured to “incentivise positive actions.” He noted that focusing only on punitive steps has allowed the current situation to persist “for the last four and a half years.”
Reaffirming India’s commitment to Afghanistan’s development needs, Harish said the government’s decision to upgrade its technical mission in Kabul to a full-fledged embassy reflects New Delhi’s continued resolve. He added that India will maintain engagement with all stakeholders to support Afghanistan’s development, humanitarian assistance and capacity-building initiatives aligned with the aspirations of Afghan society.
India Condemns Pakistan’s Airstrikes, Flags ‘Trade Terrorism’
During the debate, India echoed UNAMA’s concerns about Pakistan’s recent airstrikes and condemned the deaths of Afghan women, children and even cricketers. Harish also highlighted what he described as Pakistan’s “trade and transit terrorism,” pointing to the closure of essential access routes for land-locked Afghanistan.
He said such actions violate World Trade Organisation norms and amount to “open threats and acts of war” against a fragile Land-Locked Developing Country (LLDC). These steps, he said, breach the UN Charter and international law. India reiterated its strong support for Afghanistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence.
Recent border clashes between Taliban and Pakistani forces—less than two months after agreeing to a ceasefire—have further heightened tensions, with both sides blaming each other for breaking the truce.
India–Afghanistan Engagement
Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s six-day visit to New Delhi in October marked the first high-level Taliban trip to India since 2021. India had withdrawn its embassy staff from Kabul after the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, but re-established a limited presence in June 2022 by deploying a technical team.
During Muttaqi’s visit, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar announced the upgrading of India’s technical mission in Kabul to embassy status and reaffirmed New Delhi’s intention to resume development projects in Afghanistan. (Agencies)
