New Delhi: In a diplomatic milestone, India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar spoke by telephone on Thursday with Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister, Maulvi Amir Khan Muttaqi. It was the first political-level contact between New Delhi and Kabul since the Taliban seized power in August 2021, reported the TRT.
The conversation followed last week’s terrorist strike in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir—a bombing that led to the joint Indo-Pak “Operation Sandur.” Kabul’s rare public denunciation of the attack drew praise from Jaishankar, who later posted on X that he “deeply appreciated” the Taliban government’s stance and “strongly rejected recent attempts to sow distrust between India and Afghanistan through false and baseless reports.” The remark alluded to Pakistani media claims that Indian missiles had struck Afghan territory—allegations India dismissed as “preposterous.”
According to a statement from the Taliban Foreign Ministry, the two ministers discussed strengthening bilateral ties, expanding trade, and broadening diplomatic engagement. Muttaqi requested streamlined Indian visas for Afghan traders and medical patients, and appealed for the release and repatriation of Afghan nationals jailed in India. Both sides underlined the importance of joint development projects, highlighting Chabahar Port’s role in facilitating regional connectivity.
Although India has not formally recognized the Taliban administration, it continues to provide humanitarian aid. January saw Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri meet Muttaqi in Dubai, and in April Joint Secretary (PAI) M. Anand Prakash traveled to Kabul for talks—preceded by the Taliban’s condemnation of the Pahalgam bombing as “a threat to regional peace.”
The latest exchange marks the most senior contact since 1999-2000, when then Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh liaised with Taliban officials during the IC-814 hijacking crisis in Kandahar.
