India has urged the international community to ensure that terrorist organisations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Al-Qaeda, and ISIL affiliates are prevented from using Afghanistan’s territory for cross-border terrorism.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, P. Harish, made the appeal during a UN Security Council discussion on the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). He stressed that while India is closely monitoring the security situation, coordinated global efforts are essential to stop UN-designated terrorists and their facilitators from operating in Afghanistan.

Harish welcomed the international condemnation of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, carried out by The Resistance Front, a LeT affiliate, which killed 26 civilians. He argued that a “fresh approach” is needed in Afghanistan, combining incentives for positive actions with measures that discourage harmful behavior. Solely punitive measures, he noted, may not achieve long-term stability.

The Taliban regime, which seized power in 2021 after the U.S. withdrawal, remains unrecognized by the UN and most nations, including India. Harish underlined that maintaining the current status quo is “not good for Afghanistan and unlikely to meet expectations for its people.”

Highlighting India’s continued humanitarian support, he reiterated that India’s commitment to the development needs of Afghan citizens is “non-negotiable.” India has provided significant aid, including food, medicines, and essential supplies.

UN Special Representative Roza Otunbayeva also addressed the Council, warning of extremist group presence despite a decline in large-scale violence. She noted competing factions within the Taliban: one pragmatic, the other focused on enforcing a strict “Islamic system,” particularly restricting women’s rights.

Otunbayeva said that the international community must decide how much support to extend to a government that undermines its own population, especially women and girls.