UNSC:Won’t accept a govt imposed by force in Afghanistan

The UN Security Council on Friday made it clear the world community wouldn’t accept any government forcibly imposed in Afghanistan by the Taliban, even as India called for the dismantling of terror safe havens and sanctuaries in Pakistan. A meeting of the Security Council held under the Indian presidency to discuss the situation in Afghanistan was given a grim briefing on the fallout of the Taliban’s massive campaign of violence and attacks by Deborah Lyons, the UN secretary-general’s special representative, who said the country was at a “dangerous turning point”. Most of the representatives of the 15 permanent and non-permanent members of the Security Council strongly opposed any military takeover of the Taliban and the representatives of France and the US said further exemptions from sanctions on Taliban leaders, especially for travel, would be affected by failure to end violence.

TS Tirumurti, India’s envoy to the UN, said  “For enduring peace in Afghanistan, terrorist safe havens and sanctuaries in the region must be dismantled immediately and terrorist supply chains disrupted. It needs to be ensured that Afghanistan’s neighbours and the region are not threatened by terrorism, separatism and extremism.” The Indian envoy reiterated New Delhi’s support for an inclusive Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled peace process which leads to a political settlement that protects the gains of the past two decades and preserves the rights of women, children and minorities.

The Afghan envoy to the UN, Ghulam M Isaczai, was more scathing in his criticism of Pakistan’s role in backing the Taliban, which he said was being assisted in acts of barbarism by “foreign fighters from trans-national terrorist networks”. The Taliban have launched more than 5,500 attacks since mid-April with support from more than 10,000 foreign fighters representing 20 groups, including al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and Islamic State. Barbara Woodward, the UK envoy to the UN, said the Taliban must realise there will be consequences if it continues its military offensive. “There can be no military solution to this conflict. For our part, the UK will not recognise a Taliban government that comes to power by force,” she said.

The US representative condemned the increase in violent attacks and said: “The Taliban must hear from the international community that we will not accept a military takeover of Afghanistan or a return of the Taliban’s Islamic emirate. Special representative Lyons said the UN Security Council must issue an unambiguous statement calling for cessation of attacks on cities, and countries in contact with the Taliban’s political commission should insist on a ceasefire and a resumption of negotiations. US also cautions Taliban, says world won't accept government imposed by force in Afghanistan.