Backing the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), India said the attacks violated the UN Charter and international law, urging full protection of civilians.
“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,” Parvathaneni Harish, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, said, highlighting the humanitarian toll on communities in Afghanistan already facing a deep crisis.
India also expressed “grave concern” over Pakistan’s so-called “trade and transit terrorism”, citing the closure of key access routes for Afghanistan, a landlocked country reliant on cross-border movement for essential supplies.
“These acts are in violation of WTO norms. Such open threats and acts of war against a fragile and vulnerable LLDC nation… constitute a blatant violation of the UN Charter and international law,” Harish said.
India reaffirmed its strong support for Afghanistan’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence. Emphasising the need for a “pragmatic, coherent engagement with the Taliban”, the envoy said international policy should incentivise positive actions rather than relying solely on punitive measures, which risk perpetuating the “business as usual” dynamic seen over the last four and a half years.
New Delhi has stepped up its engagement with Taliban 2.0 over the past year, hosting both the foreign and commerce ministers of Afghanistan, with the regime in Kabul keen to look beyond Pakistan to seek global recognition and benefit economically.
“India has undertaken establishment of a Thalassemia Centre, a Modern Diagnostic Centre… Additionally, India will construct a 30-bed hospital in Kabul’s Bagrami district, an Oncology Centre and a Trauma Centre in Kabul, and five Maternity Health Clinics.”
