India arrived within minutes to help this friendly Muslim country; Pakistan must be burning with anger, maintaining its enmity
India was the first to extend a helping hand to earthquake-ravaged Afghanistan. India has sent food supplies to families affected by the earthquake. Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar has also assured Afghanistan of all possible assistance.
At least 20 people were killed and over 300 injured in a 6.3 magnitude earthquake that struck Afghanistan on Monday. Following the tragedy, India immediately extended a helping hand, sending food supplies to the affected families. Earlier, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar assured his Afghan counterpart, Amir Khan Muttaqi, of assistance. Jaishankar telephoned Muttaqi and expressed condolences for the loss of life and property in the Balkh, Samangan, and Baghlan provinces. Meanwhile, Pakistan appears to be in a confrontational mood with Afghanistan even during this crisis.
On Monday, Jaishankar said that Indian relief supplies were being sent to earthquake-affected communities. Further supplies of medicine would arrive soon. Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal shared photos on Instagram, writing, "Reiterating our support to the Afghan people, India has sent food supplies to earthquake-affected families. India has always been a first responder."
The epicenter of the earthquake was near the city of Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan, where tremors were felt around 2 a.m. (Indian Standard Time). The historic Blue Mosque was also damaged. This disaster poses another major challenge for the Taliban regime, as Afghanistan has been hit by several deadly earthquakes since taking power in 2021 and foreign aid has steadily declined. Two months ago, an earthquake in eastern Afghanistan killed more than 2,000 people.
The Afghanistan-Pakistan conflict is believed to have figured in Monday's phone conversation between the foreign ministers of India and Afghanistan. Military conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan erupted during Muttaki's visit to India last month. Afghanistan reacted strongly to this, leading to an escalation of the conflict. Following talks mediated by Qatar and Turkey, the two sides signed a ceasefire on October 19.
PC:NBT