India condemns Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Kunar, demands ‘credible’ action against terror

New Delhi: India strongly condemned Pakistan’s airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Kunar province, saying several civilians were killed and others injured in the attack. Addressing biweekly media briefing on Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesman, Randhir Jaiswal, said New Delhi hoped for the speedy recovery of those injured and called the strikes counter to regional peace and stability.

Jaiswal said Pakistan needed to demonstrate a firm commitment to combating terrorism, and that Islamabad must take credible and concrete action against it – remarks that came as the ministry also addressed Pakistan’s conduct on the international stage. India rejected what it called Pakistan’s habit of misrepresenting facts and propagating falsehoods to serve its propaganda, specifically pushing back on a Pakistani minister’s projection of a recent development as a ruling by the permanent court of arbitration.

Jaiswal said the so-called ruling was in fact issued by an illegally constituted court, calling it another attempt by Islamabad to misrepresent facts and create a false narrative.

Japan’s LDP delegation wraps up India visit

Jaiswal informed that a delegation from Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), led by the party’s secretary general, Taro Kano, who has previously served as Japan’s defence minister, foreign minister and digital minister, called on the foreign secretary, Vikram Misri, on the last day of its India visit. The talks covered the full scope of the India-Japan partnership, including economic relations and joint defence exercises and cooperation.

Separately, Jaiswal noted that India, previously had sent a parliamentary delegation to Japan for discussions on strengthening the global fight against terrorism, during which India raised its concerns on the issue. He said such LDP visits help nourish and strengthen the special India-Japan relationship. Asked about a reported $10 trillion figure, the spokesperson said Japanese companies were investing in India and that more investment was taking place, adding that New Delhi was optimistic about further Japanese investment.

Jaishankar discusses Ukraine conflict

Jaiswal also informed the media that the external affairs minister, S Jaishankar, met Ukraine’s foreign minister on Monday, discussing the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The MEA spokesman said Jaishankar reiterated India’s position that dialogue remains the way to achieve a peaceful resolution, and that India remains in touch with both Russia and Ukraine.

On Bangladesh, India said it desired a constructive and forward-looking relationship and remained ready to discuss all bilateral issues through existing structured mechanisms and established channels.

On Nepal, Jaiswal said an Indian forensic team was working with its Nepali counterpart across several laboratories and had so far processed around 3,000 samples and obtained 1,200 DNA profiles.

India co-sponsors new multilateralism initiative

Jaishankar took part in the launch of a new initiative on partnership for multilateralism, international law, peace and prosperity, hosted by the president of the European Union. Presenting India’s views on international cooperation, he spoke of the need to strengthen multilateralism to drive greater global cooperation, citing challenges including climate change, emerging technologies, and preparedness for future pandemics.

He also flagged the intersecting crises of fuel, food, fertilizer and finance, and emphasised the need for collective action. The meeting concluded with the adoption of a declaration, which India co-sponsored.