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Calling Pakistan's recent actions a threat to wider regional stability, Former Afghanistan Deputy Information Minister Zardasht Shams has urged India to play a more proactive diplomatic role as tensions between Kabul and Islamabad sharply escalate.
His remarks come after a Pakistani airstrike on a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul in which at least 400 people were killed and hundreds more were injured. Condemning the strike on civilians, Shams, who also served as the former deputy ambassador to Pakistan, said Pakistan is committing war crimes against Afghanistan and has brought its own civil war into Afghanistan. "Pakistan is engaging in aggression against innocent civilian for their own wrongdoings, for their own internal problems. They are blaming Afghanistan. The Afghan civilians are being targeted. It's the first time in the past several decades that Afghanistan has had a little bit of stability, though there are political issues, but these are Afghan internal issues; Pakistan is brought its own civil war into Afghanistan, and now they want Afghanistan in this war," Shams told ANI in an interview from London. India has "unequivocally" condemned Pakistan's bombing of Omid Drug Addiction Treatment Hospital terming it "barbaric" and "unconscionable". When asked about the role he sees India playing in this conflict, Shams said while India's humanitarian assistance and development support to Afghanistan have been widely appreciated over the years, the current situation demands greater diplomatic and strategic engagement from New Delhi. "We welcome India's engagement, its humanitarian role and its contributions in education, health and infrastructure sectors over the past two decades," he said, adding that India has remained a consistent partner for the Afghan people even during periods of political uncertainty. However, he stressed that the ongoing crisis requires India to step up its involvement at the international level. "The Pakistani threat is not limited to Afghanistan. It is a threat to regional stability. India needs to play a more proactive role, particularly on global platforms," he said. Shams also pointed to Afghanistan's current diplomatic isolation under Taliban rule as a limiting factor, suggesting that India could help bridge some of those gaps. "The Afghan government today lacks international recognition. That makes it harder to present its case globally. India can help amplify Afghanistan's concerns and ensure that such incidents are not ignored," he said. He also underlined that internal political legitimacy within Afghanistan remains crucial. "For Afghanistan to gain global legitimacy, the government must also address the expectations of its own people and ensure their rights," he added. Pakistan, meanwhile, has denied that it struck a medical or rehabilitation centre, saying its military targeted technical support facilities and ammunition depots. Shams strongly dismissed Pakistan's denial of responsibility for the airstrike, calling it part of a long-standing pattern of deflection. He said that despite Islamabad's claims that it targeted "technical facilities", multiple accounts from Afghan authorities and aid agencies indicate civilian areas were hit. "It is very clear what has happened. Independent reports and on-ground accounts have verified this," he said. Questioning the credibility of Pakistan's response, he argued that such denials are consistent with its past conduct. "Pakistan has never told the truth in such situations. When you look at history, there is a pattern of denial despite evidence," Shams said, alleging that Islamabad often shifts blame to avoid accountability. He further said that the remarks from Pakistan's leadership, including calling the incident "propaganda", reflect an attempt to downplay the scale of civilian harm. "Instead of acknowledging the damage, they are dismissing it. But the reality on the ground cannot be hidden," he added. (ANI)
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