India on Thursday slammed Pakistan for border tensions with Afghanistan, calling it "unacceptable" and reprimanding Pakistan for practising cross-border terrorism with impunity.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Thursday said that India supports the sovereignty of Afghanistan, speaking on Pakistan and Afghanistan conflict. In a statement, the MEA spokesperson Jaiswal slammed Pakistan on cross-border terrorism and said that Pakistan seems to think it has the right to continue cross border terrorism with impunity.
"I reiterate what I had said in my last briefing. Pakistan is infuriated with Afghanistan exercising sovereignty over its own territories. Pakistan seems to think that it has the right to practice cross-border terrorism with impunity. Its neighbors find it unacceptable. India remains fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of Afghanistan", Jaiswal said, referring to Pakistan and Afghanistan conflict.
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Referring to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Afghanistan's Foreign Affairs Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi's recent dialogue over both nations' cooperation on water matters, the MEA said that India will also help build dams on Kunar river in Afghanistan.
"We have a long history of cooperation in water matters," he said.
The MEA also confirmed that India has been granted a six month exemption from the economic sanctions imposed by the US President Donald Trump's administration on the strategically located Chabahar Port in Afghanistan.
"As emphasized in the recently adopted India-Afghanistan Joint Statement, India stands ready to support Afghanistan in its sustainable water management, including on hydroelectric projects. As you know, there is a history of cooperation, including the Salma Dam in Herat province," the MEA said.
Failed peace talks between Pak-Afghanistan
The MEA's remarks come amid worsening relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan following the failure of peace talks held in Turkey this week. The two countries have seen an escalation in border tensions, with both sides trading accusations and engaging in skirmishes.
The failed peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan were mediated by Turkey and Qatar, with the aim of curbing cross-border terrorism and reducing military confrontations. The negotiations, held in Istanbul, lasted four days but ended without any agreement or roadmap for de-escalation.
