India's envoy to the United Nations, T S Tirumurti, on Friday called on the Taliban to engage in "negotiations in good faith", "eschew the path of violence" and "severe ties with Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations" at the United Nations Security Council meeting on Afghanistan.

India's envoy to the United Nations, T S Tirumurti, on Friday called on the Taliban to engage in "negotiations in good faith", "eschew the path of violence" and "severe ties with Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations" at the United Nations Security Council meeting on Afghanistan. The meeting that took place under India's presidency of the top UN body happened days after Afghan foreign minister Hanif Atmar called India's external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar to hold a meeting as the situation deteriorated in his country. Tirumurti said that the Taliban should "fully commit itself towards reaching a political solution" and "violence and military threats can not be used to strengthen the negotiating position of any side" for which a "tangible demonstration of this commitment is required. "The Taliban have launched a massive offensive against the Afghan government with heavy fighting being witnessed in Herat, Kandahar, and other provinces. The Indian envoy also pointed out that "Any regime devoid of legitimacy in Afghanistan would find it difficult to garner much needed humanitarian and developmental assistance from the international donor community." It is important to remember that the Taliban is keen on getting global legitimacy even as the group has been visiting Tehran, Moscow, and Beijing to garner support. Insisting that "the international community can not afford to set the clock back" and the "future of Afghanistan can not be its past", he said New Delhi supports a "leading role for the United Nations and calls on the Secretary-General to take an initiative towards finding a lasting and durable outcome. ". While an UN-led initiative is envisaged, there are regional platforms like the Doha Process, the Moscow Format and the Istanbul Process which are working to ensure stability in the country. Next week, the troika plus--US, Russia, China, and Pakistan groups will meet to assess the situation in the country. On the issue of terrorism, he said, "For enduring peace in Afghanistan, terrorist safe havens and sanctuaries in the region must be dismantled immediately and terrorist supply chains disrupted."Without mentioning Pakistan's name, the envoy said, "Those providing material and financial support to terrorist entities must be held accountable." He listed the situation in-country, including recent incidents like the attack on the UN compound in Herat, the attack on the residence of the Defence Minister, the "murder" of Indian journalist Danish Siddiqui, and the "merciless" killing of more than 100 Afghan civilians in Spin Boldak. On India's role, Tirumurti said, "we will continue to stand with Afghanistan in ensuring that peace and stability are restored through a legitimate and transparent democratic process that is essential for the long-term stability of Afghanistan and the region." He added, "will continue to provide all support to Afghanistan in realizing their aspirations for a peaceful, democratic, and prosperous future, free of terror, where the rights and interests of all sections of Afghan society are promoted and protected." India has been a major donor to Afghanistan in the region and has been involved in major infrastructure projects in the country. The Afghan Parliament and the India-Afghanistan friendship dam in Herat have been built by India.

Taliban needs to eschew the path of violence, cut ties with terror groups: India

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Taliban needs to eschew the path of violence, cut ties with terror groups: India