Pravathani Harish, India’s representative to the United Nations, stated during a UN Security Council meeting on Afghanistan that the political realities in the country have fundamentally changed over the past five years.
Kabul 24: She emphasized that the current UN sanctions against Afghanistan must be reviewed in light of these developments and based on new realities on the ground.
Harish added that the United Nations and the international community need new policy tools aimed at benefiting the Afghan people and guiding policies in the right direction, rather than relying solely on punitive measures.
She noted that these punitive tools have gradually lost their effectiveness over time.The Indian representative strongly condemned Pakistan’s airstrikes on Afghan territory.
Citing the UNAMA report, she said the attacks have caused extensive civilian casualties. Harish further criticized Pakistan sharply, stating: “Blaming neighbors to hide its own failures is an old habit of Pakistan.”She also accused Pakistan of imposing commercial and transit restrictions on Afghanistan, describing it as inconsistent with UN principles and declarations regarding landlocked developing countries.
According to Harish, blocking trade routes amounts to “the instrumentalization of Afghanistan’s commercial and transit vulnerabilities.”On the other side, Georgette Gagnon, head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), told the meeting that Afghanistan under the current authorities enjoys relative stability, with no significant armed or political challenges facing the government a point the Islamic Emirate considers one of its most important achievements.
However, Gagnon warned that Afghanistan’s long-term prospects largely depend on internal dynamics within the current governing structure. What is currently observed, she said, is greater control by the authorities without a clear vision for the final outcome.
Fu Cong, China’s representative to the UN, described the situation in Afghanistan as stable but noted that challenges in humanitarian assistance and counter-terrorism remain complex and serious.
He stressed the need for the current Afghan authorities and the international community to move forward with mutual trust and on a shared path to take effective steps for the welfare of the Afghan people and sustainable stability.
This Security Council meeting on Afghanistan was one of the two sessions previously announced by UNAMA. The second meeting, scheduled for the 16th of this month, will discuss the extension of UNAMA’s mandate.
