Don’t rush into recognising Taliban rule in Afghanistan: Modi to int’l community
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has questioned the "acceptability" of the Taliban rule in Afghanistan, saying it is not "inclusive".
Addressing virtually the outreach session of Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit on Afghanistan in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, last night, Modi, without naming the Taliban, said, "The transition of power in Afghanistan is not inclusive and it has happened without negotiation."
He also urged the international community not to rush into recognising the "new system" in that country, reports our New Delhi correspondent.
"This raises questions about the acceptability of the new system," he added.
For the first time since the capture of power by the Taliban, Modi mentioned four parameters on which a collective decision by the global community on recognition of the Taliban should be based on.
The representation of all sections of Afghan society, including women and minorities, is important, the Indian PM said.
"And therefore, it is necessary that the decision on recognition of such a new system is taken by the global community collectively and after due thought," he said.
"If instability and fundamentalism persist in Afghanistan, it will encourage terrorist and extremist ideologies all over the world," Modi said adding "other extremist groups may also be encouraged to come to power through violence."
He said all countries have been the victims of terrorism in the past "and, therefore, together, we should ensure that the territory of Afghanistan is not used to spread terrorism in any other country."
The SCO member-countries should develop strict and agreed norms on this subject based on the principle of zero tolerance towards terrorism, the Indian PM stressed and said, "These norms can then become a template for global anti-terror cooperation."
"These should be a code of conduct to prevent activities like cross-border terrorism and terror financing and also have a system for their enforcement," he said.
Modi also flagged the issues of uncontrolled flow of drugs, illegal weapons and human trafficking relating to Afghanistan.
"A large number of advanced weapons remain in Afghanistan. Due to these there will be a risk of instability in the entire region," he pointed out.
Pointing to the serious humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the Indian PM said economic deprivation of the Afghan people is increasing due to the interruption of financial and trade flows and "we must work together to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches Afghanistan in an unhindered manner."