Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday that India remains committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Afghanistan, amid Kabul’s rising tensions with Pakistan.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated sharply in recent weeks amid border clashes and mutual accusations. Islamabad has long warned Kabul not to allow the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to operate from Afghan soil, a claim the Taliban denies. Following a ceasefire, talks in Turkiye began to establish a mechanism to monitor the Taliban’s efforts to curb cross-border attacks, but have so far resulted in a stalemate.
In a press conference, the spokesperson was asked why Pakistan was blaming the Indian representative. Fitna al Khawarij over terror attacks on its territory and Defense Minister Khawaja Asif’s comments about Kabul waging a proxy war on behalf of Delhi.
“In my last briefing, I explained our point of view; our thoughts on this particular issue. Pakistan is enraged that Afghanistan exercises sovereignty over its territories,” Jaiswal responded. “Pakistan appears to believe it has the right to practice cross-border terrorism with impunity. Its neighbors find this unacceptable.
“India remains committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Afghanistan,” Jaiswal said.
Responding to a question on Indian projects in Afghanistan, Jaiswal referred to Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s recent visit to India and the joint statement issued subsequently.
“As part of the visit, we issued a joint statement between both countries,” the spokesperson said. “This joint statement clearly emphasizes that India is ready to support all of Afghanistan’s efforts towards sustainable water resources management, including hydropower projects.”
