India assails Pakistan's 'trade and transit terrorism' against Afghanistan

United Nations, Dec 11 (IANS) India has assailed Pakistan's "trade and transit terrorism" against the people of Afghanistan by closing access for the landlocked country that is trying to rebuild itself after years of travails.

India's Permanent Representative P. Harish told the Security Council on Wednesday (local time), "Such open threats and acts of war against a fragile and vulnerable, LLDC (Land-Locked Developing Country group) nation trying to rebuild in difficult circumstances constitute a blatant violation of the UN Charter and international law."

New Delhi notes "with grave concern the practice of trade and transit terrorism that the people of Afghanistan are being subjected to by the cynical closure of access for a landlocked country whose people are suffering numerous debilitating conditions since many years", he said.

"These acts are in violation of WTO (World Trade Organisation) norms," he said.

With diplomatic finesse, Harish did not name Pakistan, but it was clear to all from Islamabad's recent actions against Afghanistan who the remarks were directed against.

Harish referred to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's report to the Security Council that decried the "severe humanitarian and economic impact" of the border clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan and border closings.

This has displaced hundreds of families inside Afghanistan, disrupted vital trade, caused financial distress and widespread losses for farmers during the critical fruit harvest season, the report said.

Harish called for action against Pakistan-backed organisations and individuals designated by the Security Council as terrorists to prevent cross-border terrorism.

"The international community must coordinate efforts towards ensuring that entities and individuals designated by the UN Security Council, the ISIL (Isamic State) and al Qaeda and their affiliates, including the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Jaish-e-Mohammed, and proxies of the LeT, such as the Resistance Front, along with those who facilitate their operations, no longer indulge in cross border terrorism," he said.

Harish drew attention to the killing of three Afghan cricketers, Kabeer Agha, Sibghatullah, and Haroon, in a Pakistani air strike in Paktika Province in October.

Because of their deaths, Afghanistan withdrew from a T20 international series, and the International Cricket Council condemned their killing.

Harish said that India echoed the concerns expressed by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) "over air strikes and condemns the killing of innocent women, children and cricketers in Afghanistan".

Harish referred to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's report to the Security Council about Pakistan forcing out millions of Afghan refugees.

"The involuntary return movements of over 2 million Afghans this year, contributing a population increase of 6 per cent for Afghanistan in 2025, have created significant vulnerabilities," he said.

He said that India has upgraded the status of its technical mission in Kabul to that of an embassy in order to enhance humanitarian and development assistance programmes.

Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Industry and Commerce Minister Haji Nooruddin have visited India, and Health Minister Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali is scheduled to go there.

These visits will result in concrete cooperation programmes for the development of Afghanistan, Harish said.

He called for a "pragmatic engagement with the Taliban" that will incentivise it to take positive actions. But only punitive actions will not bring about change, he said.