Afghanistan territory must not become source of terror: Modi at G20

Tribune News Service

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New Delhi, October 12

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called for a united response from the global community to the crisis in Afghanistan in order to preserve the socio-economic gains of the last 20 years in infrastructure development, woman empowerment, education and health.

The PM wanted the united response towards the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan to be in tandem with steps to restrict the spread of radical ideology and an inclusive administration. Without a unified response, the PM warned that it would be difficult to bring about the desired change in Afghanistan.

Speaking at an extraordinary G-20 virtual summit on Afghanistan where UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres complained that the international community was “moving too slowly” to prevent Afghanistan’s economic collapse, PM Modi agreed that Afghanistan must have immediate and unhindered access to humanitarian assistance. But he pitched for a central role for the UN in providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan as per the UN Security Council Resolution 2593 on Afghanistan. This resolution is a bone of contention in the UNSC as Russia and China abstained from the Resolution, demanding that the aid should be routed through the dispensation in Kabul, the Taliban.

While stating that every Indian feels the pain of Afghan people facing hunger, the PM also underlined the need to ensure that Afghan territory does not become a source of radicalisation and terrorism, regionally or globally. He emphasised the need to enhance the fight against the “nexus of radicalisation, terrorism and drug smuggling”.

‘GatiShakti’ to be launched today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch “PM GatiShakti”, a master plan for multi-modal connectivity, at Pragati Maidan here on Wednesday. PM GatiShakti will promote institutionalised holistic planning for stakeholders for major infrastructure projects. Describing it as a historic event for the country’s infrastructure landscape, the PMO on Tuesday said the GatiShakti project will break departmental silos. TNS