India told the UN Security Council it supports “pragmatic engagement” with the Taliban, warning that relying solely on punitive measures will perpetuate a “business as usual” approach. Addressing the council on the situation in Afghanistan, India’s UN ambassador Parvathaneni Harish urged the UN and the international community to adopt nuanced policies that deliver sustainable benefits to the Afghan people.
Harish said a coherent policy should incentivise positive actions and noted India’s continued commitment to Afghanistan’s development needs. He cited New Delhi’s decision to restore its Technical Mission in Kabul to embassy status as evidence of that resolve and said India will engage with all stakeholders to support comprehensive development, humanitarian assistance, and capacity-building in line with Afghan priorities.
The ambassador recalled Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s six-day visit to New Delhi in October—the first senior Taliban ministerial visit since 2021—during which External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar announced the mission upgrade and pledged renewed development work. India had withdrawn embassy staff after the Taliban takeover in August 2021 and re-established a diplomatic presence in June 2022 with a “technical team.” India continues to closely monitor security conditions in Afghanistan.
Harish stressed coordinated efforts to ensure entities and individuals designated by the UN—ISIL, Al Qaeda and affiliates including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, as well as proxies like the Resistance Front—do not engage in cross-border terrorism, a remark widely read as aimed at Pakistan. India joined UNAMA in expressing concern over airstrikes and condemned the killing of innocent civilians, including women, children and cricketers.
He also raised alarm over what he called “trade and transit terrorism,” referring to closures that deny a landlocked Afghanistan access to trade, which he said violates WTO norms and amounts to open threats against a fragile nation rebuilding under difficult circumstances. While condemning such acts, Harish affirmed India’s support for Afghanistan’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence.
India has long advocated peace and stability in Afghanistan and emphasised the need for regional and international cooperation and strong engagement with relevant parties. Humanitarian assistance and capacity-building remain priorities: India implements more than 500 development partnership projects across all provinces and, following Muttaqi’s visit, plans to deepen cooperation in healthcare, public infrastructure and capacity-building. India also intends to continue working with UN agencies on health, food security, education and sports.
Harish noted that the November 19–25 visit to India by Afghan Minister of Industry and Commerce Alhaj Nooruddin Azizi and a trade delegation advanced cooperation on connectivity, trade facilitation and market access.
