Durable peace in Afghanistan requires a genuine “double peace”: Jaishankar
By IAR Desk
Durable peace in Afghanistan required a genuine “double peace”, Indian Minister of External Affairs Dr.S. Jaishankar said on Tuesday, June 22, at the United Nations Security Council Debate on United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
Referring to the report of the Secretary General on the situation in Afghanistan that was issued last week, the minister noted that the intra-Afghan talks have not resulted in a reduction of violence in Afghanistan. “On the contrary, violence has only increased, especially after 1st May. The country has been witnessing targeted attacks on religious and ethnic minorities, girl students, Afghan security forces, Ulemas, women occupying positions of responsibility, journalists, civil rights activists and youth.”
The minister urged the international community and the Security Council to press for a “permanent and comprehensive ceasefire” to ensure immediate reduction in violence and protection of civilian lives.
Saying that Afghanistan requires a genuine “double peace”, Jaishankar explained that double peace meant peace within Afghanistan and peace around Afghanistan. “It requires harmonizing the interests of all, both within and around that country.”
Reiterating India’s support for “an inclusive, Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled peace process” and a genuine political settlement in the war ravaged country, he said India has been Supportive of all the efforts being made to accelerate the dialogue between the Afghan government and the Taliban, including the intra-Afghan negotiations, but said “negotiating parties needed to continue to engage in good faith, eschew the path to find a military solution, and fully commit towards reaching a political solution.”
He also called on the United Nations to play a leading role, “since that would help improve the odds for a lasting and durable outcome.”
Jaishankar underscored that any political settlement in Afghanistan must ensure that the gains of the last two decades are protected by preserving the constitutional democratic framework and ensuring the protection of rights of women, children and minorities.
The minister warned that for enduring peace in Afghanistan, terrorist safe havens and sanctuaries must be dismantled immediately and terrorist supply chains disrupted and called for zero tolerance for terrorism in all its forms and manifestations including its cross-border one. “It is equally important to ensure that the territory of Afghanistan is not used by terrorist groups to threaten or attack any other country. Those providing material and financial support to terrorist entities must be held accountable,” the minister said.
Outlining India’s long term commitment to Afghanistan he pointed out that India has contributed more than 550 Community Development Projects covering all 34 provinces, will build the Shatoot dam, which would provide safe drinking water to the residents of Kabul city, operationalized air freight corridors and the Chabahar Port for greater regional connectivity, extended humanitarian assistance of 75,000 MT of wheat to Afghanistan through the Chabahar Port to overcome food insecurity in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, and supplied Made-in-India vaccines to Afghanistan, both bilaterally and through the COVAX facility.
Alluding to Pakistan’s obdurity in impeding transit trade between India and Afghanistan he called for “unhindered access to the high seas” for Afghanistan’s economic development and called on the international community to work towards the “removal of artificial transit barriers imposed on Afghanistan and ensure full transit rights guaranteed to Afghanistan under bilateral and multilateral transit agreements without any hindrance.”
