India argues against meddling in internal affairs of Taliban-ruled Afghanistan

India stressed on ensuring that Afghanistan’s territory must not be used to intimidate or carry out terror strikes on any other nation

India on Wednesday not only called for respecting the sovereignty and independence of Afghanistan but also emphasised avoiding meddling in the internal affairs of the conflict-ravaged country currently ruled by the Taliban.

It stressed on ensuring that Afghanistan’s territory must not be used to intimidate or carry out terror strikes on any other nation. It reiterated its call for dialogue among all parties to set up an inclusive and representative government in the country.

After Defence Minister Rajnath Singh participated in a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Tashkent on Wednesday, a press release quoted him voicing India’s full support for a peaceful, secure and stable Afghanistan.

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It also quoted him as calling for respecting Afghanistan’s sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity as well as non-interference in its internal affairs.

The Taliban returned to power in Kabul on August 15 last year after occupying much of the country through a military blitzkrieg, taking advantage of the withdrawal of the United States from the war-torn country after two decades. The Sunni Islamist organisation accused President Joe Biden’s administration of violating the sovereignty of Afghanistan after a drone strike by the United States killed al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul.

Even in the wake of widespread criticism over human rights violations and restrictions on education and employment of women, the Taliban responded by asking the international community to refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of Afghanistan.

Singh on Wednesday urged “all parties” to encourage the authorities in Afghanistan to achieve national reconciliation through dialogue and negotiation and establish a broad-based, inclusive and representative political structure in the country. He underlined the importance of adhering to the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

India, like the US and most other nations, has not yet recognised the government set up by the Taliban in September 2021. It, however, has been reaching out to the militia and has of late even deployed "a technical team" in its embassy in the capital of Afghanistan, less than a year after evacuating all its diplomats and consular officials from the country.

India's outreach to the Taliban is apparently aimed at stopping Pakistan from turning the group’s return to power in Afghanistan into a strategic advantage against the country.

The territory of Afghanistan must not be used to intimidate or attack any country by providing safe havens and training to terrorists and supporting their activities through financial assistance, Singh said at the meeting of the SCO defence ministers. He also stressed the need to provide urgent humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan and safeguard their fundamental rights.