India & Taliban-led Afghan govt hold talks in Kabul amid rising regional tensions post-Pahalgam

The Print

28-04-2025

Tensions have spiraled between New Delhi and Islamabad after the 22 April Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 25 tourists and one local were killed. India has blamed Pakistan for the attack and announced a raft of punitive diplomatic measures including putting the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance and cancellation of visas. Pakistan has responded with tit for tat measures, announcing, among other things, that it may put the Simla Agreement on hold.
Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs' Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran (PAI) Division, held talks Sunday in Kabul with Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi. Apart from the evolving regional situation, their discussions covered a broad range of other bilateral issues, including political relations, trade and transit routes.
New Delhi: In a significant diplomatic shift, India held diplomatic talks with the Taliban-led Afghan government amid rising tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad after the 22 April terror attack on tourists in Jammu and Kahsmir's Pahalgam.
During the talks in Kabul, Muttaqi emphasised Afghanistan's desire to expand its diplomatic and economic ties with India. Highlighting what he described as an investment-friendly climate in Afghanistan, he urged Indian businesses to take advantage of emerging opportunities, according to a statement by Hafiz Zia Ahmad, the Deputy Spokesman for Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
There was no explicit mention of the Pahalgam terror attack in a statement issued by Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs but it did mention that 'recent regional developments' were discussed.
'During the meeting, both sides held discussions on strengthening bilateral political relations, enhancing trade and transit cooperation, and exchanging views on recent regional developments,' the statement said.
The Taliban government had Wednesday condemned the terror attack, saying such incidents undermine efforts to ensure regional security and stability. In a statement, the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi had also expressed condolences to the bereaved families.
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While the Taliban-led government remains internationally unrecognised, India has maintained a diplomatic presence in Kabul since the Taliban's return to power in August 2021. Prakash voiced optimism about strengthening ties across multiple sectors and reaffirmed India's commitment to development cooperation. He also conveyed New Delhi's interest in reviving infrastructure projects that had stalled after the Taliban takeover.
India's latest outreach marks a notable shift in New Delhi's approach to Afghanistan, more than three years after its development and diplomatic efforts suffered a major strategic setback with the fall of Kabul. Two decades of investment in Afghanistan's democracy—through military training programmes, scholarships, and landmark projects such as the Afghan Parliament building—were abruptly halted, which led to greater influence by regional rivals, particularly Pakistan and China.
Yet signs of a policy recalibration have emerged. In January, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Muttaqi in Dubai—the highest-level engagement between the two sides since 2021.
During that meeting, Taliban officials expressed a keen interest in deepening political and economic ties with India, describing it as a 'significant regional and economic power'.
The discussions also touched on expanding trade through Iran's Chabahar port, a strategic infrastructure project India has invested in heavily, to bypass Pakistani ports in Karachi and Gwadar.
By meeting with senior Taliban officials, Delhi has effectively accorded the group the legitimacy it has long sought from the international community.
Meanwhile, Mirwaiz Balkhi, who was the Education Minister of the Afghanistan government that was ousted by the Taliban, said, India's unprecedented engagement with Afghanistan under the Taliban regime undeniably lends a degree of diplomatic legitimacy to the Taliban. While this interaction may be framed as a pragmatic move in New Delhi's regional politics or security strategy, it risks normalising a radical regime whose governance and policies remain deeply contentious. This engagement suggests a potential shift in India's foreign policy approach, signaling a willingness to engage with the Taliban despite broader international hesitations—a shift with no good implications for Afghanistan, India, and the region.'
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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