India Narrative

India has once again stressed the urgent need to find constructive ways to ensure peace and stability in Afghanistan and combating risks from terrorism emanating from the region. In a meeting with the top security heads of the region in Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe today, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval batted for enhancing capability of Afghanistan to counter terrorism and terrorist groups which pose a threat to regional peace and security. The NSA's of Tajikistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan and China took part in the meeting which essentially carried forward the spirit encapsulated in the Delhi Declaration from the 3rd Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan held in New Delhi in November 2021.  While highlighting that India has historical and civilisational relations with Afghanistan and continues to stand by the people of Afghanistan, Doval said that the foremost priority should be right to life and a dignified living as well as protection

The Taliban regime in Afghanistan continues to receive widespread international condemnation, including from the Islamic world, for reneging on its promise to let Afghan girls return to school. Earlier this week, the Taliban administration had announced the reopening of all schools in the country, including those just for girls, on March 21 - the first day of the Afghan New Year.   However, as thousands of secondary-school girls around the country turned up at their school for the first time in seven months on Wednesday, they were sent back home by the hardcore fundamentalists, thus contradicting their public assurances to the Afghan people and to the international community. Mawlawi Aziz Ahmad Ryan, Director of Publications and spokesman for the Ministry of Education, said that schools for girls from the sixth grade and above will remain closed until further notice. "After compiling a comprehensive plan in this field in accordance with Islamic law and Afghan culture and tradition

The unfolding situation in Afghanistan will have wider ramifications to the Central Asia region, particularly the possible growth in international terrorism and drug trafficking emanating from the Afghan territory, India told the Security Council during a debate on the United Nations' partnership with the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) in New York, earlier today. Russia had made the meeting as one of the flagship events of its UNSC Presidency this month with its Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin chairing the debate. It was also addressed by the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas, representatives of the CSTO member states besides several other countries. Putting up a united front with the Central Asia partners, India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador T S Tirumurti during his remarks stated expectations of the international community that Afghan soil should not be used for sheltering, train

 The Afghanistan-Pakistan dispute over the Durand Line has taken centre- stage yet again. Facing prospects of high-octane street protests Pakistan's National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf has dropped his plans of leading a high-level inter-ministerial delegation to Kabul on January  18  for two-day  talks on the Durand Line dispute and the humanitarian crisis exploding in Afghanistan! In the last week of December 2021, videos showing Taliban fighters removing Pakistan’s border fencing appeared on social media. Taliban commanders were seen threatening Pakistani soldiers against pursuing construction of the border fence. Various spokespersons and Taliban Commanders described the Durand Line border fence as “illegal”, and resolved to “not allow the fencing anytime, in any form”. What is the Durand Line? Henry Mortimer Durand, Foreign Secretary of British India from 1884 to 1894 left behind two legacies in India and Pakistan. One, the popular Durand Cup Football Tournament in India that

  Russia's worst fears of terrorists from Afghanistan penetrating into the countries of the Central Asian region could be coming true with the current state of emergency in Kazakhstan, country's Ambassador to the United States has suggested.   Moscow has been worried for the past many months about the current situation in Afghanistan, saying that the return of "international terrorist organisation" Taliban does not give "cause for optimism" as people with radical ideology can even slip into Russia through the Russian-Kazakh section of the state border. Early Monday, Anatoly Ivanovich, Russia's top diplomat in Washington , said that thousands of "jihadists" are involved in attempting a "colorful" revolution and causing massive unrest in Kazakhstan. "Kazakhstan was hit by radicals confessing a human-hatred ideology. Thousands of jihadists and looters tried to undermine the constitutional order. Weapons are being used against civili