India Slams Pakistan At UN, Calls Strikes On Afghan Civilians ‘Acts Of War’ & Violations Of International Law | VIDEO | X
New York: India criticised Pakistan at a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) session on Thursday, December 11, denouncing its recent airstrikes in Afghanistan that killed civilians, including women, children and local cricketers. India said the attacks posed a serious threat to regional stability and constituted a grave breach of international law.
India Warns of ‘Acts of War’ and WTO Violations
Parvathaneni Harish, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, told the Council that New Delhi was “gravely concerned” by what he described as Pakistan’s “trade and transit terrorism,” referring to Afghanistan’s repeated closure of border routes for landlocked Afghanistan. He said the actions violated WTO norms and amounted to “open threats and acts of war against a fragile and vulnerable LLDC nation.”
Harish added, “While we condemn such acts, we also strongly support the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Afghanistan.” He called for full adherence to the UN Charter and international law, underscoring the need to protect civilians caught in the fighting.
Clashes along the Afghanistan Pakistan border erupted again this week, less than two months after both sides agreed to a ceasefire to end weeks of hostilities. Each side has accused the other of breaching the truce. The conflict first escalated in early October after a Pakistani airstrike on Kabul, triggering Afghan retaliation even as Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was visiting India.
Call for Coordinated Global Action
Harish said India was closely tracking developments and urged coordinated international action to prevent UN-designated terror groups, including ISIL, Al-Qaida, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, Jaish e Mohammed and proxies such as The Resistance Front, from operating across borders.
A spokesperson for the Taliban administration said Pakistan initiated the latest round of attacks and Kabul was “forced to respond.” The exchanges mark the worst border fighting since the Taliban took power in 2021. A ceasefire was reached on October 19 following mediation by Qatar and Turkey.
Harish told the Security Council that punitive approaches alone have failed and called for “pragmatic engagement” with the Taliban. He said a coherent strategy should incentivise positive behaviour and urged the UN and the international community to adopt policies that deliver sustainable benefits for Afghans.
