'Exercise restraint, resolve issues diplomatically': Afghanistan's Taliban govt after India strikes in PoK

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri with Army's Col Sofiya Qureshi and IAF Wing Commander Vyomika Singh during a press conference regarding 'Operation Sindoor', in New Delhi.

The Taliban government of Afghanistan has urged both India and Pakistan to exercise restraint, saying any further escalation was not “in the interest of the region”. The statement came after New Delhi carrying Operation Sindoor, in which it carried out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Pakistan.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on the social media platform X that "it urges both sides to exercise restraint and resolve their issues through dialogue and diplomacy".

Relations between the Taliban government and neighbouring Pakistan have been strained over security concerns and Islamabad's deportation campaign which has expelled tens of thousands of Afghans since the beginning of April.

The Taliban, who returned to power in Kabul in the summer of 2021, have in contrast developed closer ties with New Delhi, even though it does not recognise their government.

The Pakistan Foreign Ministry described the Indian strikes as "unprovoked" and that the Indian military has violated Pakistan's sovereignty using standoff weapons. The Pakistan army said at least 26 people were killed and 46 injured in these strikes.

India's armed forces destroyed nine terrorist infrastructure including that of Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in a 25-minute-long "measured and "non-escalatory" missile and drone strike early Wednesday in retaliation to the dastardly terror attack in Pahalgam.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said India decided to carry out the "proportionate" strikes to bring the perpetrators and planners of the April 22 Pahalgam attack to justice as there was "no demonstrable step" from Pakistan to act against terrorist infrastructure on territories under its control.