India makes “bold moves” to Afghanistan

Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar addressed the media in New Delhi. May 15, 2025. |Picture source: ANI

The day after Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar spoke with the “acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan” (Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi), officials in New Delhi asserted that India would make “bold moves” against Afghanistan and establish strong relations with the Taliban-Taliban-Rul-ruled state in the near future. As part of the process, the southern neighborhoods will consider the possibility of extending humanitarian aid to Afghan refugees forcibly repatriated by Pakistan.

In a conversation with Mr. Muttaqi, Mr. Jaishankar said on Thursday (May 15, 2025) that India will also deepen its direct humanitarian support for Afghanistan, which has been ruled by the Taliban since August 2021. Sources informed that some of the Taliban government’s requirements were some of the requirements in India, and the triban Indiption had Mutrians’ requests. It will be held in Dubai on January 8, 2025. The Pakistani government repatriated 80,000 Afghans living in various parts of Pakistan earlier this year under its “illegal foreigner repatriation program”, and the process is expected to continue.

As Pakistan directs that all provinces should not rent anywhere in any part of the country, the expulsion of Afghans who have lived in Pakistan for decades has a major problem between Kabul and Islamabad.

New Delhi officials said that in addition to formal recognition, India will make “bold moves” against Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, and New Delhi’s dialogue on Jaishankar-Muttaqi has “many meaning” because it was in the context of Mr Muttaqi’s visit to Iran and China and China and China next week. Mr Muttaqi and Mr Jaishankar have discussed cooperation with the Taliban to take advantage of Iran’s Chabahar port, which is more important because India prohibits trade through Pakistan’s borders. India has cleared 160 Afghan trucks that carry dried fruits and nuts in Attari, but the vehicles remained on the Pakistani side until Friday when Pakistan allowed them to enter India.

The Taliban has described Mr. Mutach’s upcoming multi-ethnic visit as part of Afghanistan’s “active foreign policy” that has been shaping Kabul’s “balanced” posture in South Asia. Officials in New Delhi said that in the current situation, India is willing to do “any need” to the Taliban, which was described by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MEA) as the “new normal”. India has established friendly ties with the government of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, which was overthrown by the Taliban in August 2021 in a rapid military advance.

After the overthrow of the Ghani government, India withdrew its officials from its embassy in Kabul and evacuated its missions in Kandahar and Mazar Ekharif. However, over the past two years, New Delhi has steadily increased its exchanges with Taliban representatives. Since 2021, India has sent 50,000 tons of wheat, 350 tons of medicine, 40,000 liters of malathion fertilizer and 28 tons of relief materials to Afghanistan, including assistance sent in 2023 after the Herat earthquake.

Despite the increasing interaction, India has not yet granted formal recognition to the Taliban, mainly because of the Taliban’s human rights record, especially regarding the continued closure of girls’ schools and restrictions to prevent women from returning to government work. Although India has gradually allowed the Taliban individuals to take over Afghan missions in Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad, India’s consular work in Afghanistan also continues to be below its full potential as India has not yet reopened its consular in Kandahar and Mazar-e-Sharif and was charged No. 232 in Kabul’s mission, the team was charged 232 times in Kabul’s mission.

Sources in New Delhi described Mr Mutach’s phone as a “bold gesture” in Kabul as the Taliban’s strong condemnation of the April 22 terrorist attacks in Pahargam and the growing reorganization of clothing companies with Pakistan. Mr Jaishankar and Mr Muttaqi have agreed to keep in touch and it is understood that several upgrades in the bilateral sector may take place in the near future.