Jaishankar didn’t name Pakistan in his statement at a UN Security Council debate on the UN assistance mission in Afghanistan, but there was little doubt which country he was pertaining to IN his remarks.
While calling for a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire to finish a surge in violence, including targeted attacks on women, minorities and civil society activists, Jaishankar said India will welcome any move towards a real political settlement in Afghanistan.
“For enduring peace in Afghanistan, terrorist safe havens and sanctuaries must be dismantled immediately and terrorist supply chains disrupted. There must be intolerance for terrorism altogether its forms and manifestations, including its cross-border one,” he said, in a clear regard to Pakistan.
“It is equally important to make sure that the territory of Afghanistan isn't employed by terrorist groups to threaten or attack the other country. Those providing material and support to terrorist entities must be held accountable,” he added.Durable peace in Afghanistan, Jaishankar said, requires “a genuine double peace” or peace within and round the country. the planet community, he added, must deliver on its commitments to Afghanistan to make sure development and reconstruction.
“For Afghanistan’s economic development, it's important to possess unhindered access to the high seas. The international community should work towards the removal of artificial transit barriers imposed on Afghanistan and ensure full transit rights bound to Afghanistan under bilateral and multilateral transit agreements with none hindrance,” he said.
Pakistan has barred the movement of Indian goods through its territory to Afghanistan while allowing Afghan exports to India, despite strong objections from the govt in Kabul over the years. to beat such transit and transport-related problems, India has launched several air trade corridors between Afghan and Indian cities and developed Iran’s Chabahar port as an alternate access point to Afghanistan.
New Delhi’s growing concerns over a recent surge in violence across Afghanistan, largely blamed on the Taliban, also figured in Jaishankar’s comments. He noted the UN secretary-general’s latest report on things in Afghanistan had made it clear the intra-Afghan talks hadn’t resulted during a reduction of violence.
“On the contrary, violence has only increased, especially after May Day . The country has been witnessing targeted attacks on religious and ethnic minorities, girl students, Afghan security forces, ulemas, women occupying positions of responsibility, journalists, civil rights activists and therefore the youth,” he said.
“It is, therefore, crucial that the international community and especially , this council, presses for a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire to make sure immediate reduction in violence and protection of civilian rights,” he added.
India has backed all efforts to accelerate dialogue between the Afghan government and therefore the Taliban, but if the social process is to achieve success , it's “necessary to make sure that the negotiating parties still engage in straightness , eschew the trail to seek out a military solution, and fully commit towards reaching a political solution”, Jaishankar said.
“I would really like to reiterate our support for an inclusive Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled social process . Any political settlement in Afghanistan must make sure that the gains of the last 20 years are protected and not reversed,” he said, adding the constitutional and democratic framework must be preserved.
Jaishankar also highlighted India’s recent steps to support Afghanistan during the transition period, including quite 550 community development projects covering all 34 provinces, an MoU for building the Shahtoot Dam to supply beverage to Kabul, and therefore the supply of 75,000 tonnes of wheat through Chabahar port to make sure food security amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
