Taliban Government Expands Ties with India Amid Rising Regional Tensions
Over the past nine months, four members of the Taliban administration’s cabinet have traveled to India, a trend that has intensified alongside escalating political and military tensions between Kabul and Islamabad. The latest visit involved Attaullah Omari, the Taliban’s Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, leading a high-level delegation to New Delhi—a trip seen as indicative of renewed momentum in bilateral relations.
Prior to Omari, Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Foreign Minister, Noor Jalal Jalali, the Minister of Public Health, and Nooruddin Azizi, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, also visited India. The continuation of these visits signals that New Delhi and the Taliban administration have entered a new phase of engagement in recent months, one shaped by regional rivalries.
During his meetings in India, Attaullah Omari emphasized expanding bilateral cooperation, stating: “In this arena, we need your help, the help of our old and dear friend, India, and its sincere traders who have historically stood shoulder to shoulder with us.” These remarks come while the Taliban administration remains unrecognized by any country and seeks to reduce its political isolation through boosted regional relations.
The increase in diplomatic contacts between Kabul and New Delhi occurs amid sharply deteriorated relations between the Taliban administration and Pakistan in recent months. Pakistan has repeatedly targeted Afghan border areas, including Kabul and some eastern provinces, with airstrikes.
In the most recent incident about two weeks ago, following Pakistani airstrikes in Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar provinces, India condemned the attacks and asserted its “firm support for Afghanistan’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty.” Pakistan responded by labeling New Delhi’s statements as “baseless and absurd.”
Meanwhile, Asif Ali Dar, former Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, warned that if the Taliban’s growing ties with India harm Islamabad’s interests, it would cross Pakistan’s red lines. He said the Taliban must clarify whether they seek balanced regional relations and address Pakistan’s security concerns or intend to turn Afghanistan into a battleground for India-Pakistan rivalry.
India, which previously labeled the Taliban as terrorists and whose Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not distinguish between “good” and “bad” Taliban, has now significantly increased its level of contact with the Taliban administration. India’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced on Sunday new aid to assist Afghan refugees expelled from Pakistan—an initiative coinciding with intensified detention and expulsion of Afghan migrants by Pakistan.
