At UNSC meet on Afghanistan, India delivers a sharp message on Pakistan role

Opium poppy cultivation and a boom in methamphetamine production and trafficking remain Afghanistan’s “largest illicit economic activity.” The UN office on drugs and crime reported a 32% increase in opium cultivation in 2021, while opium prices soared after the Taliban issued a decree in April 2022 to ban the cultivation and use of narcotics

NEW DELHI: The days when Afghanistan was used by others as “strategic depth” are over and the world community must ensure that Afghan soil is not used by United Nations (UN)-designated terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) for planning terrorist acts, a top Indian diplomat has said.

Sanjay Varma, secretary (West) in the external affairs ministry (Twitter Photo)

Though Sanjay Varma, secretary (West) in the external affairs ministry, didn’t name any countries while addressing a special meeting of the UN Security Council on Afghanistan, his remarks left no doubt that he was referring to Pakistan, whose military leadership for a long followed a policy of using Afghan soil as “strategic depth”.

The world community continues to have concerns about the situation in Afghanistan, and India’s priorities include providing humanitarian aid for the Afghan people, formation of a truly inclusive and representative government, combating terrorism and drug trafficking, and preserving the rights of women, children and minorities, Varma told the meeting held late on Tuesday.

“The days when Afghanistan was used by others as so-called ‘strategic depth’ are over. Such skewed approaches have only brought misery to the people of Afghanistan and mayhem in the region,” he said.

India will continue to play its role in ensuring peace and stability in Afghanistan and the interests of the Afghan people will “always continue to be at the core of our efforts”, he added.

Referring to UNSC resolution 2593, which lays out the collective approach to be followed by the world community for Afghanistan, Varma reiterated that it “unequivocally demands” that Afghan territory should not be used for sheltering, training, planning or financing terrorist acts, “specifically terrorist individuals and entities proscribed by the UN Security Council, including Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.”

“Closely linked to the issue of terrorism is the menace of drug trafficking. It is important for us to strengthen international cooperation to disrupt and dismantle the trafficking networks,” he said.

On the political front, India continues to call for an “inclusive dispensation in Afghanistan which represents all sections of the Afghan society.” A broad-based, inclusive and representative formation is needed for long-term peace, stability and economic recovery, he noted.

India’s permanent representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj, who also addressed the meeting as the outgoing chair of the 1988 sanctions committee or the Taliban sanctions panel, highlighted the close ties between the Afghan Taliban and Al-Qaeda and their presence, both in Afghanistan and the region, of Al-Qaeda “core leadership and affiliated groups” such as Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).

She also pointed out that Islamic State– Khorasan Province (ISIL-K) or Da’esh (militant group) remains a “primary threat in Afghanistan and in the region,” as demonstrated by its “regular attacks against Afghanistan’s neighbouring states as well as against minority ethnic and religious communities.” Another worrying fact is ISIL-K’s attacks on diplomatic embassies and personnel.

“Moreover, ISIL-K maintains the potential to attract disillusioned Taliban and foreign fighters into its ranks, thereby enhancing its capability to carry out attacks and its ability to regain territorial hold in the country, as well as the potential to establish a so-called Islamic caliphate in the region in the future,” she said.

Opium poppy cultivation and a boom in methamphetamine production and trafficking remain Afghanistan’s “largest illicit economic activity.” The UN office on drugs and crime reported a 32% increase in opium cultivation in 2021, while opium prices soared after the Taliban issued a decree in April 2022 to ban the cultivation and use of narcotics.

“The administration in Kabul remains overwhelming Taliban. Since taking power, concerns have been expressed that the group has reversed policies and gone back on commitments made prior to assuming power. Concerns have also been expressed on the further erosion of human rights, including the rights of women and girls, as well as lack of progress on inclusive governance,” Kamboj said, hours after it emerged that the Taliban had banned women from university education.