India says Pakistan blames neighbours for internal failures

India on Wednesday reaffirmed its support for Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, while calling out Pakistan for its "continued patronage of terrorism and destabilising the region".

“We are closely monitoring the situation. Three things are clear: one, that Pakistan hosts terrorist organisations and sponsors terrorist activities; two, it is an old practice of Pakistan to blame its neighbours for its own internal failures; and three, Pakistan is infuriated with Afghanistan exercising sovereignty over its own territories,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a weekly briefing.

Jaiswal said India remained fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of Afghanistan, and supported the Afghan people’s right to decide their own future free from external interference.

New Delhi’s statement comes amid heightened tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, with Pakistan accusing Afghanistan of harbouring militants behind recent cross-border attacks — a charge Kabul has dismissed as baseless. Both countries have engaged in fierce clashes, which have left hundreds of people dead on both sides.

Officials in New Delhi said India’s position was consistent and principled: that peace in Afghanistan could only be ensured when terrorism emanating from Pakistan’s soil is dismantled and support structures for violent extremism are eliminated.

India has also been engaging regional partners to sustain humanitarian and developmental assistance for the the Afghan people, even as the regional security environment remains fraught.

A few days ago, Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was in New Delhi to strengthen bilateral ties. During his visit, India had announced to upgrade its technical mission in Kabul to a full-fledged Embassy.