Responding to the conflict on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the Minister of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday that India “remains fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Afghanistan”.
In a statement on Thursday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal accused Pakistan of hosting “terrorist organisations”. He said, “Three things are clear.”
“First, Pakistan hosts terrorist organizations and sponsors terrorist activities,” Randhir Jaiswal said.
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“Secondly, it is an old practice of Pakistan to blame its neighbors for its own internal failures,” he added.
The third point he said was, “Pakistan is enraged that Afghanistan is asserting sovereignty over its own territories.”
Randhir Jaiswal concluded by stating that India remains fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Afghanistan.
The MEA statement came a day after Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire.
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Clash on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan
The clash between Pakistan and Afghanistan took place last Thursday when Afghanistan was hit by the first explosions, which the Taliban blamed on Islamabad.
The blasts were reported while Afghanistan’s top diplomat was on an unprecedented visit to India – Pakistan’s neighbor and rival.
Taliban authorities then launched an offensive on the border on Saturday, prompting Islamabad to promise a strong response of its own, AFP reported.
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Gunfights on Saturday killed dozens of people, and renewed violence on Wednesday claimed civilian casualties, according to Kabul.
The Taliban government officially blamed Wednesday’s explosions in the Afghan capital on the explosion of an oil tanker and a generator.
However, Pakistani security sources said the military attacked the militant group with “precision strikes” in Kabul and also hit Afghan Taliban bases in Kandahar.
There were power outages in some areas of Kabul overnight and into Thursday morning, which AFP said were caused by electrical cables damaged in the explosions.
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According to Spin Boldak Director of Public Health Karimullah Zubair Agha, 40 civilians were killed and 170 others were injured on Wednesday.
At least five people were killed and 35 injured in explosions in Kabul on Wednesday, an Italian NGO that runs a hospital in the city said.
Pakistan accuses Kabul of offering a safe haven to militants who plan their frequent attacks from Afghan soil – which the Taliban government denies.
Pakistan is facing renewed attacks against its security forces on its western border with Afghanistan, led by the Pakistani Taliban and its affiliates.
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48-hour ceasefire
Pakistan announced a 48-hour ceasefire on Wednesday. A ceasefire on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border held on Thursday, officials from both sides said, after dozens of soldiers and civilians were killed in cross-border clashes.
The aim of the 48-hour ceasefire, according to Islamabad, was to provide time “to find a positive solution … through constructive dialogue”.
(With input from agencies)
