By Muhammad Shahghazi
The visit of Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to New Delhi marked a striking reversal in South Asian diplomacy. After four years of enmity, the Taliban foreign minister had initiated his first visit to India in hopes of a rapprochement.
The visit came days after a high-status conference took place in Islamabad involving anti-Taliban Afghans who were a part of the Ghani regime toppled in 2021. During the week-long visit, the Indian government reached several crucial agreements ensuring increased cooperation for economic growth. The Afghan representative requested that India invest in minerals, sports, and agriculture. A special trade zone will also be established for bilateral trade, while efforts to facilitate trade through Chabahar remain a crucial subject.
Crucially, the move comes as an Indian effort towards a notable change in the regional geopolitical dynamics. The Indian government had long seen the Taliban as a threat to its security. India supported the Northern Alliance against the Taliban during the 1996-2001 period. Following the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, India came out in open support of the newly formed Afghan government.
The Taliban’s outreach to India has marked a decisive recalibration in the geopolitical landscape of South Asia. It not only creates consideration for Islamabad but also for South Asia’s fragile balance of power. To navigate this new challenge, Pakistan must prioritize diplomatic engagement with both regional blocs amid the prevailing crisis. Buildup of regional tensions can result in undesired consequences for all the parties involved
As a response to India’s open enmity, the Taliban carried out attacks on Indian nationals in Afghanistan, with attacks on the Indian embassy in 2009 and the Indian consulate in Herat in 2014. Despite decades of antagonism, the animosity has apparently come to a halt as Muttaqi, the Taliban foreign minister, calls India a “close friend”.
On upgrading the Indian technical mission in Afghanistan to an embassy, the Indian foreign minister assured Afghanistan that “Closer cooperation between us contributes to your national development, as well as regional stability and resilience”. India further showed interest in including itself in the development of Afghan youth, with a commitment to “expand avenues for Afghan students to pursue studies at Indian universities.” The Indian foreign minister also reiterated support for the Taliban regime, stating that India ensures “full commitment to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Afghanistan”.
The Taliban regime has long shown interest in improving relations with India. In January 2025, Muttaqi affirmed that Afghanistan does not pose a threat to any nation, expressing his hopes for increased diplomatic relations with India. Foreign minister Muttaqi thanked his Indian counterpart, saying that the visit marks a “significant & historic step forward in the trajectory of bilateral relations between Afghanistan & India.”
During the week-long visit, the Afghan government urged India to invest in the agriculture, mining, healthcare and other sectors of Afghanistan. The two nations also agreed to resume the visa process for Afghan students and workers to travel to India. A possibility of trade through the Chabahar port was also discussed during the visit.
The Indo-Afghan rapprochement intensified the latter’s relations across the Durand Line. With a, then unprecedentedly violent conflict unfolding between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The conflict, coupled with the renewed alliance of Delhi and Kabul, has created a hostile environment between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistan issued a statement, calling out Afghanistan’s claim of Jammu and Kashmir being a part of India, calling it a “clear violation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the legal status of Jammu and Kashmir”.
The India-Afghanistan axis comes with induced anxiety for Islamabad. Pakistan’s enduring influence in Afghanistan is now under threat as the Indo-Afghan cooperation unfolds. Following Muttaqi’s visit to New Delhi, Afghanistan, and Pakistan have had a month-long conflict. Despite negotiation efforts by regional powers, the two nations struggle to come to an agreement. Pakistan’s foreign minister, Khawaja Asif, blamed the failure on India claiming that the decisions of the Taliban are being “sponsored by New Delhi”.
While the rapprochement comes as a deal-breaker between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the former benefits from the Indian investments and diplomatic support. Moreover, the visit has opened new corridors for the Taliban government to escape Pakistan’s shadow and pursue a diverse foreign policy. The Taliban delegation’s visit to Dar-ul-Uloom Deoband can also be seen as a drift between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s clergy, further weakening Pakistan’s soft power in Afghanistan.
The Taliban’s outreach to India has marked a decisive recalibration in the geopolitical landscape of South Asia. It not only creates consideration for Islamabad but also for South Asia’s fragile balance of power. To navigate this new challenge, Pakistan must prioritize diplomatic engagement with both regional blocs amid the prevailing crisis. Buildup of regional tensions can result in undesired consequences for all the parties involved.
Muhammad Shahghazi is a research intern at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, he can be reached at [email protected]
