India's MEA Condemns Pakistani Airstrikes on Afghanistan, Tells Islamabad to Show 'Credible Action' Against Terrorism Before Its Claims Are Believed

At its biweekly media briefing in New Delhi on September 22, 2026, India's Ministry of External Affairs condemned overnight Pakistani airstrikes on Afghanistan's Kunar and Paktika provinces, which Taliban authorities said killed at least three civilians and injured four others. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal offered condolences for the lives lost and said such 'instances of aggression against neighbours go against regional peace and security,' reaffirming India's support for Afghanistan's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Pakistan said the strikes targeted roughly 28 Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants; neither Afghan authorities nor any UN body had independently verified that claim. Jaiswal used the episode to press a pointed bilateral message at Pakistan: 'Pakistan needs to demonstrate action and firm commitment and they must take credible action against cross-border terrorism before the world believes what they say they are going to do' — reiterating India's longstanding position that Islamabad's own counter-terrorism claims lack credibility given its record of allegedly sponsoring militancy in Jammu and Kashmir.