New York/New Delhi, July 8 (UNI) India has abstained from voting on the UN Resolution on Afghanistan, and said the international community must direct its coordinated efforts towards ensuring that entities and individuals designated by the UN Security Council along with their regional sponsors who facilitate their operations, no longer exploit the Afghan territory for terrorist activities.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador P Harish, in his statement on the Resolution, welcomed the strong condemnation by Afghanistan of the Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22 and said India is committed to the efforts towards a stable, peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan.
"India has decided to abstain on this resolution," Mr Harish said while expressing India’s commitment to continued engagement with all relevant stakeholders and support to the international community’s efforts towards a stable, peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan.

The Indian Ambassador said the international community must direct its coordinated efforts towards ensuring that entities and individuals designated by the UN Security Council, the Al Qaeda and their affiliates, ISIL and their affiliates, including Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, along with their regional sponsors who facilitate their operations, no longer exploit the Afghan territory for terrorist activities.

Reiterating India’s historic ties with the people of Afghanistan and enduring commitment to meeting their humanitarian and developmental needs, he said India remains committed to continued engagement with all relevant stakeholders and broadly supports the international community’s efforts towards a stable, peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan.

The U.N. General Assembly yesterday adopted a resolution over the U.S.' objections calling on Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers to reverse their oppression of women and girls and eliminate all terrorist organizations.

The 11-page resolution emphasizes “the importance of creating opportunities for economic recovery, development and prosperity in Afghanistan.”
The vote was 116 in favour and 12 abstentions including India, Russia, China and Iran. The Resolution was sponsored by Germany.

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