Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaki’s eight-day visit to India that began on October 9 is the first high-level diplomatic engagement since the Taliban came to power in 2021. Muttaqi, like other senior Taliban leaders, is subject to a UN travel ban. India obtained exemption from the 1988 Sanctions Committee of the United Nations Security Council. This was an important step in making the meeting possible.
The visit marks a major shift in India’s policy towards the Taliban and has regional and domestic implications. This marks a pragmatic shift in India’s foreign policy, preferring engagement with Afghanistan’s de facto rulers rather than its initial non-recognition stance. This shift is influenced by regional dynamics and India’s desire to protect its security and economic interests.
India’s partnership with the Taliban comes after rising tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan, including border clashes. It is noteworthy that along with Muttaki’s visit, Kabul was rocked by explosions for which the Taliban has held Pakistan responsible. The Afghan government has accused Pakistan of violating Kabul’s “sovereign territory”, calling it an “unprecedented, violent and provocative act”. The incident is the latest incident amid rising violence and deep mistrust between the two countries, including border skirmishes and allegations of harboring terrorist groups.
Pakistan has long accused the Afghan Taliban of allowing the Pakistani Taliban, also known as TTP, to operate from its territory. The Taliban government has always denied this. Rumors had spread that the blasts in Kabul were part of a targeted attack on TTP leader Noor Wali Mehsud. The Taliban Defense Ministry warned in its statement that, if the situation worsened, “Pakistan forces will be responsible for the consequences”.
While Afghanistan’s relations with Pakistan are deteriorating, India is strategically strengthening its relations with the Taliban. During Muttaki’s visit, India announced that it would upgrade its technical mission in Kabul to a full-fledged embassy, ​​effectively severing diplomatic ties with the Taliban administration. This takes diplomatic engagement to the highest level since the Taliban takeover. India’s deepening ties with the Taliban is seen as a strategic move to counter Pakistan, which previously had close ties with the Taliban.
Thus, the geopolitical dynamics of the region are changing. The main change is the deterioration in relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan on the one hand and India’s pragmatic inclination towards the Taliban on the other. The reopening of the embassy allows India to regain diplomatic foothold in Afghanistan after its initial withdrawal in 2021 and better monitor developments. This enables direct engagement with the Taliban on security concerns such as terrorism and extremist groups.
During the discussion, the Indian side stressed the need to coordinate efforts of both the countries against cross-border terrorism. Muttaki assured India that Afghanistan would not allow its territory to be used against New Delhi’s interests. This is significant in the context of the fact that the Taliban has historically maintained ties with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), both of which have carried out several terror attacks against India. Both Lashkar and JeM are considered ideological allies of the Taliban due to their shared commitment to the extremist Deobandi school of Sunni Islam. This common ground has historically fostered strong relations between them. During the Taliban’s previous rule in the 1990s, the group operated from Afghan territory. Both Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba continue to take advantage of Taliban networks for safe haven and military support.
The Taliban government, facing severe economic challenges, is actively seeking foreign investment and economic ties to stabilize Afghanistan. India’s commitment to trade and development projects provides a vital lifeline. By reaching out to India, the Taliban demonstrates an effort to diversify its regional alliances and emphasize a more independent foreign policy, especially in its strained relations with Pakistan.
India reiterated its commitment to humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people. New aid packages were announced, including reconstruction assistance for earthquake-hit areas, additional food grains and other relief materials, and cooperation on health care, including the provision of vaccines and medical equipment.
Both sides agreed to strengthen the India-Afghanistan Air Freight Corridor to enhance trade and commerce. Muttaqi also invited Indian investment, especially in Afghanistan’s mining sector. strengthening people-to-people ties Discussions were also held during the visit. The two countries discussed cooperation in sports, especially cricket, and agreed to issue more visas for Afghan students, businessmen and those requiring medical treatment.
There are many critics who have said that inviting the Afghan minister was not desirable. According to human rights organizations and the United Nations, the Taliban’s actions, particularly the severe restrictions on women’s and girls’ rights to education and employment, amount to gender oppression. Inviting the foreign minister and upgrading diplomatic ties risks legitimizing these abuses.
Critics also argue that association with repressive regimes weakens democratic values. The Taliban have violently repressed dissent and freedom of expression. Journalists and media outlets face arbitrary detention, beatings, threats, and censorship. Activists advocating human rights and women’s education were reportedly detained and tortured. Public flogging and other corporal punishment are routinely administered.
The fact that women journalists were barred from Muttaki’s press conference in Delhi caused a lot of reaction and underlined the Taliban’s misogynistic policies. Critics suggest that while aligning with the Taliban may seem politically unsound, it risks compromising India’s relations with democratic-minded Afghans and other international partners who oppose the Taliban’s repressive rule.
There are some critics who insist that despite the Taliban’s assurances, its historical ties with international terrorist groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed pose a threat to regional security. The possibility of backsliding or switching allegiance means relying on Taliban promises may be a miscalculation. Despite this, engagement with the Taliban is considered a practical necessity by India to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a hotbed of terrorism directed against India.
There are other important factors that need to be kept in mind. Afghanistan, with its significant mineral resources, offers new economic opportunities for investment. The Taliban has specifically invited India to invest in its mining sector. It is also important for India to engage with the Taliban to secure access to Central Asian markets, which are otherwise blocked by Pakistan.
The continued engagement allows India to oversee its significant development investments in Afghanistan, including projects such as the Salma Dam and the Afghan Parliament Building, built during the previous government. India has committed to projects like the Mulberry Dam and Drinking Water Project for Kabul, which will also facilitate irrigation. Plans are being made for road connectivity to promote tourism, such as the road to Band-e-Amir in Bamiyan province. India is also supporting infrastructure development in the region.
There are human reasons also. India’s long-standing relations with the Afghan people are rooted in centuries of shared history. India’s partnership has given priority to the Afghan people, regardless of which government is in power. The engagement with the Taliban ensures that India can provide essential humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people facing grave crisis. India has already supplied vaccines, wheat and other relief items. India has promised to assist in housing and assistance for Afghan refugees forcibly repatriated from Pakistan.
Muttaki’s visit is of great importance for the Taliban. This visit is an important step towards breaking the international diplomatic isolation of the Taliban. Associating with a major regional power like India helps the group gain legitimacy and international recognition, which remains limited. The Taliban government, facing serious economic challenges, is actively seeking foreign investment and economic ties to stabilize its country. India’s commitment to trade and development projects provides a vital lifeline. By reaching out to India, the Taliban government has demonstrated a willingness to diversify its regional alliances and emphasize a more independent foreign policy, especially given strained relations with Pakistan.
India’s decision to invite Muttaqi reflects a reassessment of India’s foreign policy to suit the new ground realities in Afghanistan, prioritizing national security and strategic interests in the face of changing regional dynamics.
This article is written by Prabhu Dayal, former Ambassador to New Delhi.
