India on Thursday sharply criticised Pakistan for being “infuriated” by Afghanistan’s assertion of sovereignty, saying Islamabad continued to believe it could carry out cross-border terrorism without facing any consequences. The remarks came as the Ministry of External Affairs also confirmed that the United States had given India a six-month waiver from American sanctions for the Chabahar port project.

During the weekly media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Pakistan seemed “infuriated” by Afghanistan taking control of its own territories. “I reiterate what I had said in my last briefing,” Jaiswal told reporters. “Pakistan is infuriated with Afghanistan exercising sovereignty over its own territories. Pakistan seems to think that it has the right to practice cross-border terrorism with impunity. Its neighbours find it unacceptable. India remains fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of Afghanistan.”

Jaiswal’s comments came amid growing tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan after peace talks held in Turkey broke down earlier this week. Both sides have blamed each other for cross-border aggression as clashes continue. According to Dawn, hostilities began on the night of October 11 when the Taliban government in Kabul accused Pakistan of launching airstrikes inside Afghan territory, an allegation that Islamabad has neither confirmed nor denied.

The situation worsened on Wednesday when Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned the Taliban government of possible military action inside Afghanistan. Speaking to reporters at Pakistan’s Parliament House, Asif said, “We will conduct strikes, we definitely will. If their territory is used and they violate our territory, then, if we need to go deep into Afghanistan to retaliate, we surely will.” He said Pakistan had joined the peace talks “to give peace a chance” at the request of friendly countries but described the Taliban’s remarks as “venomous” and showing a “devious and splintered mindset.”

Meanwhile, Jaiswal also announced that the United States had granted India a six-month waiver from its sanctions for the Chabahar port project, which serves as an important trade route linking India with Afghanistan and Central Asia. He said India’s talks with the US for a trade deal were ongoing and that New Delhi was studying the implications of Washington’s recent sanctions on Russian oil companies.

“We are studying the implications of the recent US sanctions on Russian oil companies. Our decisions naturally take into account the evolving dynamics of the global market,” Jaiswal said. He added, “Our position on the larger question of energy sourcing is well known. In this endeavour, we are guided by the imperative to secure affordable energy from diverse sources to meet the energy security needs of our 1.4 billion people.”