Michael Hughes
AOPNEWS
May 5, 2023

Foreign ministers from several states during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) ministerial firmly expressed concerns over the Taliban’s inability to stem the terrorist tide in Afghanistan, although barbs, some quite vicious, exchanged between India’s top diplomat and his Pakistani counterpart seized the headlines, potentially diluting the impact of the message meant for the radical group.

The key story of the gathering held in India’s Goa at first appeared to be the fact that a group of leading regional actors in a unified manner called out the Taliban for essentially allowing Afghanistan to become a welcome mat for terror groups.

Not to mention, the meeting comes as IS-K steps up attacks inside Afghanistan, while states in the region grow increasingly alarmed by the terrorist threat expanding under the Taliban’s watch. The Taliban, meanwhile, instead of focusing on security, have spent most of their time expanding draconian restrictions on women.

Pakistan, ironically, has been the most impacted by the Taliban government’s embrace of extremist groups since the radicals retook Kabul. In fact, Islamabad has grown frustrated with the Afghan Taliban for providing sanctuary to TTP militants in particular, who have repeatedly launched cross-border attacks.

On Thursday, 13 people – including six Pakistani troops – were reportedly killed in clashes with militants near Afghanistan’s border in North Waziristan. TTP claimed responsibility for the attacks, accusing Pakistani forces of trying to raid the area.

“It is alarming that terrorist groups within Afghanistan are cooperating amongst themselves more than we are as the international community,” Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto said during a prepared speech at the forum on Friday. “As the country that will be the first but not the last to suffer the consequences, Pakistan calls on the Interim Afghan Authorities to uphold their commitments on not allowing the use of Afghan soil for terrorism.”

In addition, he curiously warned against “weaponizing terrorism for diplomatic point scoring,” and then invoked the 2007 assassination of his mother, ex-prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who is often referred to as the “mother of the Taliban” given her key role as architect and sponsor of the movement’s rise in the 1990s. Pakistan’s top diplomat then hinted at tensions between Islamabad, Kabul and New Delhi over addressing the terrorist threat.

“We must stop conflating non-state actors with state actors. Condemn all forms of terrorism including state-sponsored terrorism,” Bhutto added.

Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was quite irritated by the comments about cooperation against terrorism, especially given that five Indian troops were killed during a clash in Kashmir earlier in the day. Jaishankar targeted Bhutto with vitriol at a post-meeting presser.

“As a foreign minister of an SCO member state, Mr. Bhutto Zardari was treated accordingly. As a promoter, justifier and spokesperson of a terrorism industry which is the mainstay of Pakistan, his positions were called out and countered including at the SCO meeting itself,” Jaishankar said as quoted by The Hindu.

The foreign minister also reaffirmed New Delhi’s conviction that Article 370 of India’s constitution, which grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir, “is history,” according to the report, which described the minister as “visibly upset.”

In an exclusive interview published on Friday, Bhutto told The Hindu that he did not request a bilateral meeting with Jaishankar during the SCO summit and said the “only thing” holding up talks was India’s decision to reorganize Jammu and Kashmir.

India alleges that Islamabad has fueled terrorist groups in the disputed territory of Kashmir – accusations Pakistan has long-rejected, claiming they are supporting groups seeking self-determination.

Pakistan’s military has for years used Afghan territory to groom terrorist assets for the war in Kashmir and in the name of “strategic depth,” the notorious doctrine that was part of the rationale for forming the Afghan Taliban and backing their seizure of Kabul (twice).

Other regional state leaders were focused on boosting efforts for the SCO to better deal with the Taliban and the security situation on the ground in Afghanistan.

During his remarks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, reiterating concerns about terrorist activities on Afghan soil, said Moscow is “keeping an eye” on how the Taliban addresses the security crisis.

After the meeting, Lavrov accused the United States of continuing to foment unrest in Afghanistan and even claimed there is clear proof that Washington is aiding terrorists. Moreover, Russia, he added, firmly opposes US attempts to reintroduce its military infrastructure across Central Asia.

“The US is again trying to interfere in Afghanistan’s affairs,” Lavrov told reporters as quoted by Sputnik. “There is convincing evidence that the US is supporting terrorist groups, including the Turkistan Islamic Party and al-Qaeda terrorist group, which all remain on the territory of Afghanistan.”

Lavrov said the ministers were in agreement on revitalizing the SCO-Afghanistan contact group in light of the need to eradicate terrorism and counter drug trafficking.