New York [US], March 17 (ANI): India strongly condemned Pakistan at the United Nations over airstrikes carried out in Afghanistan during the holy month of Ramadan and raised concerns about the ongoing deportation of Afghan nationals.
Addressing the UN General Assembly during a commemoration of the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, criticized Pakistan’s actions and rhetoric.
“India’s western neighbor is an example of fabricating imaginative tales of Islamophobia in their neighborhood. One wonders what the brutal repression of Ahmadiyyas in that country would be termed, or the large-scale refoulement of helpless Afghans, or air-bombing campaigns during this holy month of Ramadan,” he said.
Harish emphasized the need for the United Nations to recognize the growing risks of weaponizing religious identity for political purposes. “It is important for the UN to take note of the rising trend and dangers of weaponizing religious identity and instrumentalizing it to serve narrow political ends by state and non-state actors alike,” he added.
Afghanistan has alleged that around 400 people were killed and approximately 250 injured in an airstrike on a drug treatment center in Kabul on Monday evening. A Taliban spokesperson said the strike targeted the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital, a 2,000-bed facility, and caused extensive destruction.
However, Pakistan has rejected the claims. Pakistani outlet Samaa, citing security sources, described the allegations as “ridiculous” and denied that any hospital had been targeted.
According to reports, Pakistani forces conducted airstrikes in Kabul and Nangarhar province, targeting what they described as facilities linked to the Taliban. Security sources said the strikes hit locations in Kabul, destroying technical support infrastructure and ammunition storage facilities.
In Nangarhar, Pakistan reportedly struck multiple sites associated with Taliban military installations, including logistics hubs, ammunition depots, and technical infrastructure.
Al Jazeera reported that Pakistan’s Ministry of Information said the strikes were “precise” and aimed at military installations and terrorist support infrastructure, including facilities used by Afghan Taliban and Afghanistan-based Pakistani fighters. The ministry stated that the operations were carefully conducted to avoid civilian casualties.
The statement also accused Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid of attempting to incite anti-Pakistan sentiment and deflect attention from alleged cross-border support for terrorism.
Afghan media outlets reported widespread damage in Kabul, including to residential areas, with several buildings sustaining structural damage. Residents described destruction to homes and infrastructure following the explosions.
Khaama Press reported that Taliban forces had launched drone attacks targeting areas inside Pakistan, escalating tensions and prompting retaliatory strikes across the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the alleged attacks, stating that the Afghan Taliban had crossed a “red line.”
As tensions continue to rise, Tolo News reported that approximately 7,500 families have been displaced in districts of Kunar province near the Durand Line due to Pakistani artillery shelling.
Displaced residents said the shelling destroyed homes and killed livestock, forcing families to live in tents for nearly two weeks. They added that the ongoing violence during Ramadan has made it impossible for them to return to their homes. (ANI)
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