Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, has unusually warned Pakistan in support of the Taliban in Afghanistan, saying in a harsh tone that if Pakistan repeats airstrikes on Afghan territory, India will respond strongly and “destroy Pakistan.”
The Indian Prime Minister’s direct and sharp remarks in support of the Taliban and his threat to destroy Pakistan are considered unprecedented and are seen as a sign of the growing closeness between the Taliban and India.
Modi’s warning and explicit threat in support of the Taliban against Pakistan come at a time when relations between the Taliban and Pakistan have become highly tense in recent weeks, increasing the possibility of broader conflict.
Yesterday, representatives of Pakistan and India at the United Nations Security Council also engaged in a heated verbal clash over Afghanistan-related issues.
Harish Parvathaneni, India’s representative, accused Pakistan of “violating humanitarian commitments, targeting civilians, and having a history stained by genocidal acts.”
In response, Saima Saleem, Pakistan’s representative, said: “India has once again entered the Security Council wearing the mask of a victim, but the world sees the true face of this country a state that exports terrorism, occupies people by force, suppresses minorities, and has even turned water into a weapon.”
She accused India of supporting anti-Pakistan armed groups such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and the Majeed Brigade, and described Islamabad’s recent military operations in Afghanistan against the Taliban as “precise and targeted.”
Saleem also referred to the issue of Kashmir and the condition of minorities in India, saying: “Islamophobia in India has become official policy, and discrimination against Muslims and other minorities has become an everyday reality.”
Recently, some media outlets reported that Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s foreign minister, is expected to visit India in the near future.
Last year, the Taliban foreign minister’s visit to India triggered a strong reaction from Pakistan.
Pakistan describes the Afghan Taliban as a proxy group of India, claiming that they are waging war in Pakistan through the Pakistani Taliban and بلوچ separatists on behalf of New Delhi. In this context, Pakistan launched a military campaign called “Operation Ghazab-ul-Haq” about three months ago, during which it bombed Taliban positions in various parts of the country.
Several rounds of negotiations between the Taliban and Pakistan in Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and China aimed at reaching a peace agreement have ended without results.
Observers say that closer ties between the Taliban and India will further anger Islamabad and reduce the chances of any agreement between the Taliban and Pakistan.
A few days ago, Pakistan’s defense minister said that if the Afghan Taliban do not stop supporting the Pakistani Taliban and continue India’s proxy war against Pakistan, Pakistan will do to the Taliban what it had done to India. He was referring to the recent brief war between India and Pakistan, during which Pakistan established air superiority and several Indian fighter jets were reportedly destroyed by the Pakistani military.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
