India has sharply escalated its criticism of Pakistan’s actions in Afghanistan at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), voicing deep concern over Islamabad’s recent strikes and economic blockades targeting the landlocked nation. The strong remarks come at a time when New Delhi and Kabul have been steadily rebuilding diplomatic warmth.
India and Afghanistan relations gained momentum after Taliban’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi visited India on a 6-day trip in October 2025. Since then, Pakistan has launched several attacks on Kabul.
During the UNSC meeting in New York on Thursday (December 11, 2025), India’s Permanent Representative Harish Parvathaneni said New Delhi echoed UNAMA’s concerns over airstrikes and condemned the killing of women, children, and even local cricketers in Afghanistan.
India voices concern for Afghanistan amid Pak violence
Hitting out at Pakistan, Parvathaneni said, “We also note with grave concern the practice of ‘trade and transit terrorism’ that the people of Afghanistan are being subjected to by the cynical closure of access for a landlocked country whose people have been suffering numerous debilitating conditions for many years.”
“These acts are in violation of WTO norms. Such open threats and acts of war against a fragile and vulnerable LLDC nation, trying to rebuild in difficult circumstances, constitute a blatant violation of the UN Charter and international law. While we condemn such acts, we also strongly support the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Afghanistan,” he added.
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Fresh clashes between Taliban and Pakistani forces erupted earlier this week, barely two months after both sides agreed to a ceasefire to cool weeks of tensions along the volatile border. Each side accused the other of violating the fragile truce, the worst fighting since the Taliban took power in 2021.
The conflict reignited in early October 2025 following a Pakistani airstrike on Kabul, when Muttaqi was on his 6-day India visit for high-level discussions. This prompted a swift retaliation from Afghanistan. However, it clearly signalled Islamabad’s insecurity over growing India-Afghanistan relations and the widening strategic space between the two partners.
Pakistan claims that militants based in Afghanistan have carried out attacks inside Pakistan, including suicide bombings by Afghan nationals. Kabul, however, denies these allegations, arguing it cannot be held responsible for Pakistan’s internal security failures.
Attempts at diplomacy have faltered. A ceasefire agreed in Doha had largely held, but follow-up talks in Istanbul last month failed to produce a durable peace agreement.
Read Full Statement Here
What is India’s stand on peace and counter-terrorism?
At the UNSC session, Parvathaneni reaffirmed that India remains a consistent advocate of peace, stability and development in Afghanistan, a stance New Delhi has underscored more visibly since Muttaqi’s October outreach. “Coordinated regional and international cooperation on key issues concerning Afghanistan is paramount, as is strongly engaging relevant parties for promoting peace, stability, and development in the country.”
India, he added, continues to keep a close watch on Afghanistan’s security landscape. With this, he also stressed the need for global action against extremist groups operating in and around Afghanistan.
“The international community must coordinate efforts towards ensuring that entities and individuals designated by the UNSC, ISIL, and Al-Qaeda and their affiliates, including Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed and proxies of LeT such as the Resistance Front, along with those who facilitate their operations, no longer indulge in cross-border terrorism.”
Reiterating India’s grave concern over Pakistan’s border closures, Parvathaneni told the UNSC, “We add our voice to calls for paying full respect to the United Nations Charter and international law with particular attention to protection of innocent civilians.”
“The cynical closure of access for a land locked country whose people are suffering numerous debilitating conditions since many years are in violation of WTO norms,” he said, calling it an “act of war” against a vulnerable state.