Terrorism continues to pose a serious threat to Afghanistan and to the region, India’s ambassador to the United Nations, TS Tirumurti, said at the UNSC meeting on Wednesday

NEW YORK: India on Wednesday called for “concrete progress” by the Taliban setup in Afghanistan to ensure that UN-sanctioned terror groups do not get support from Afghan soil or from terrorist sanctuaries in the region, an apparent reference to Pakistan.

India’s ambassador to the United Nations, TS Tirumurti, outlined the country’s position while addressing a meeting of the UN Security Council that discussed the situation in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the takeover of Kabul by the Taliban.

Tirumurti said the world community’s expectations regarding Afghanistan and the Taliban setup were clearly outlined in UN Security Council resolution 2593, which also laid down the requirements in terms of the fight against terrorism.

As a contiguous neighbour and long-standing partner of Afghanistan, India is concerned by recent developments in Afghanistan, especially the deteriorating humanitarian situation, he said. India also shares the world community’s concerns on issues such as providing humanitarian aid, ensuring formation of a truly inclusive and representative government, combating terror and preserving the rights of women, children and minorities.

“Terrorism continues to pose a serious threat to Afghanistan and to the region,” he said. Resolution 2593 noted the Taliban’s commitment not to allow the use of Afghan soil for terrorism, including terrorists and groups designated under UN Security Council resolution 1267, he added.

“However, we need to see concrete progress in ensuring that such proscribed terrorist entities do not get any support, tacit or direct, either from Afghan soil or from the terrorist sanctuaries based in the region,” Tirumurti said in an apparent reference to Pakistan.

Resolution 2593 also laid down the world community’s expectations regarding an inclusive and representative political settlement with meaningful participation of women and minorities and diverse political-ethnic groups in the country, the importance of upholding human rights, including those of women, children and minorities, and the need to provide humanitarian aid to the Afghan people.

“Peace and security in Afghanistan is a critical imperative that all of us need to collectively strive for. The recent developments in Afghanistan will have a significant impact on the neighbouring countries and the wider region with global implications,” Tirumurti said.

“India calls for an inclusive dispensation in Afghanistan which represents all sections of Afghan society. A broad based, inclusive and representative formation is necessary for internal legitimacy,” he added.

India has committed to provide 50,000 tonnes of wheat, lifesaving medicines and one million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to the Afghan people. “We have already dispatched three shipments of humanitarian assistance consisting of medicines and Covid medicines,” Tirumurti said.

Tirumurti also briefed the same meeting as the current chair of the 1988 sanctions committee, which monitors UN sanctions on Taliban leaders and entities linked to the group. He noted that the committee on December 22 extended the three-month travel ban exemption for 14 listed Taliban members to continue attending talks.

He said that while the committee fully supports the travel ban exemption so that the UN-sanctioned Taliban leaders can attend talks aimed at promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan, UN member states should remember that the exemption is only for this purpose.

Tirumurti said more than 30 UN-sanctioned Taliban members are occupying senior cabinet positions and humanitarian aid providers should use reasonable efforts to minimise the accrual of benefits to these designated individuals.

He further noted that ties “between the Taliban, largely through the Haqqani Network, and the Al-Qaida and foreign terrorist fighters remain close and are based on ideological alignment and relationships forged through common struggle and intermarriage”.

The continued presence of the Islamic state and its activities in Afghanistan remain a matter of concern, and the group was using terror attacks to “demonstrate its power and influence in the country and abroad”, he said.