• Source:JND
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India on Thursday took a swipe at Pakistan, stating that it was an old practice of Islamabad to shift blame onto the neighbourhood following rising tensions with Kabul. The Ministry of External Affairs stated that India remains resolutely committed to Afghan sovereignty and territorial integrity, supporting the right of the Taliban-led government to defend its territory.  Speaking at the MEA weekly press briefing, spokesman Randhir Jaiswal explained India's stance on the current conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

"Three things are clear. One, terrorist organisations are sheltered in Pakistan, and it supports terrorist activities. Two, it is an age-old Pakistani habit of blaming neighbours for the failures in its own backyard. Three, Pakistan is angered that Afghanistan is asserting sovereignty over Afghan territories," Jaiswal stated.

Reiterating New Delhi’s support for Kabul, he said, “India remains fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Afghanistan.” He also said that India was keeping an eye on the situation along the volatile border between them.

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Ceasefire After Fatal Fighting

Fresh fighting on the Pakistan–Afghanistan frontier on Tuesday evening killed scores of soldiers and civilians, the two sides' security officials reported. The fighting compelled Islamabad and Kabul to accept a 48-hour ceasefire on Wednesday, in response to each other's appeal.

This fresh escalation followed after Afghanistan over the weekend fired missiles at Pakistani targets. The Taliban regime asserted that this was in response to Pakistan's airstrikes in Kabul. Pakistan retaliated that if cross-border attacks did not desist, it would retaliate forcefully.

Pakistan Targets TTP Fighters

The Afghan military stated on Thursday that 34 terrorists of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan - also known as Fitna al-Khawarij - were slain in total intelligence-based operations in North and South Waziristan and Bannu districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif also indicated that Islamabad is ready to hold dialogue with Kabul. "If Kabul is willing to talk, Islamabad is prepared. The ball is in their court," he stated.

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The United Nations has appealed to both Pakistan and Afghanistan to dial back the tensions in an effort to safeguard their civilians in the crossfire. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan welcomed the lull in fighting and stated it was still trying to measure the extent of casualties on all sides.

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