WASHINGTON: Pakistan and India exchanged sturdy phrases on the United Nations Safety Council (UNSC) on Monday throughout a debate on Afghanistan, with Islamabad defending its counter-terrorism actions and New Delhi condemning cross-border airstrikes.
Naseer Ahmad Faiq, who serves as Chargé d’affaires advert interim of Afghanistan’s Everlasting Mission to the UN, additionally spoke on the debate. Afghanistan’s de facto Taliban authorities aren’t represented on the UN and don’t acknowledge Faiq.
In his assertion, Faiq highlighted civilian casualties within the Pakistan-Afghanistan battle and careworn the necessity to struggle terrorism. Nevertheless, he didn’t point out Al Qaeda, the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or different teams.
Through the session, India’s Everlasting Consultant Parvathaneni Harish stated his nation “reiterates UNSG’s deep concern at civilian casualties attributable to cross-border violence and strongly condemns airstrikes that are flagrant violations of worldwide regulation, UN Constitution and state sovereignty”.
India additionally expressed “grave concern on ‘commerce and transit terrorism'” and stated “these vulnerabilities of land-locked growing nations shouldn’t be weaponised”.
Responding, Pakistan’s Everlasting Consultant, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, stated he was compelled to take the ground once more after listening to remarks from Afghanistan and India.
Ambassador Ahmad stated that given “India’s animosity in the direction of Pakistan and the only goal of its Afghan coverage being to destabilize Pakistan, together with by actively supporting and sponsoring terrorist teams, working from Afghan soil, corresponding to TTP and BLA”, the remarks of the Indian consultant got here as no shock.
He famous India’s consultant spoke at size in regards to the safety state of affairs in Afghanistan, mentioning civilian casualties and border clashes, however “had not a phrase in regards to the terrorist risk emanating from Afghanistan, which has focused Pakistan and which many Council members have highlighted of their statements”.
“However there’s a cause for that. It’s India’s complicity in all of this,” he stated, including that Pakistan had supplied “irrefutable proof of India’s collusion with terrorist teams which are engaged in orchestrating violent assaults towards Pakistan”.
“One can really feel India’s ache in seeing its heavy funding within the Afghan terrorist franchise going to waste on account of Pakistan’s exact and efficient motion towards terrorist camps and help bases inside Afghanistan,” Ambassador Ahmad remarked.
He described India as “a serial violator of worldwide regulation”, accusing it of illegally occupying territory, violating the UN Constitution and UNSC resolutions, perpetrating state terrorism in India-occupied Kashmir and past, systematically marginalizing minorities, spreading hate, “even weaponising water with the specific purpose of ravenous Pakistan’s inhabitants”, and utilizing disinformation as a state coverage.
“And the listing goes on,” the envoy added.
Responding to Faiq, Ambassador Ahmad stated, “The so-called consultant of Afghanistan, who in actual fact doesn’t signify anybody however himself, should not abuse this discussion board to pursue his private agenda.”
Describing Faiq as “sequestered in New York”, Ahmad stated the previous was “utterly lower off from floor realities” and had “chosen to selectively touch upon some features of the state of affairs, significantly just about Pakistan”.
“Due to this fact, the worth and credibility of his remarks are in critical doubt,” the Pakistani envoy stated.
Ambassador Ahmad said that Pakistan’s “legit counter-terrorism operations aren’t directed towards the brotherly individuals of Afghanistan, and are solely meant to neutralize the persistent risk of terrorism emanating from Afghan soil”.
He added Pakistan’s actions have been “in full conformity with the precise to self-defense and worldwide humanitarian regulation”.
Ahmad stated Faiq had “nothing to say about cross-border terrorism from Afghanistan that’s so closely impacting Pakistan by way of casualties amongst civilians, amongst our armed forces, regulation enforcement businesses and infrastructure”.
In his concluding remarks, Ambassador Ahmad stated that whereas India had “at all times performed the position of a spoiler in Afghanistan,” Pakistan had “engaged responsibly in selling peace, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan.”
He added that these targets may solely be promoted if “the Taliban regime fulfills its commitments with respect to counter-terrorism, inclusive governance and upholding the rights of Afghan ladies and women.”
He urged India to “stop and desist from its coverage of stoking terrorism inside Pakistan from Afghan soil, now along with their newfound mates within the Taliban regime”, and stated Pakistan wouldn’t permit “their sabotage and subversion from Afghan soil to nourish and hurt Pakistan”.
