​Talking to Taliban: On India-Afghanistan ties

Marked by controversy, Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s ongoing visit to India was meant to signal a major reset in ties between New Delhi and the Taliban. The visit was his first since the Taliban grabbed power in 2021, as was his meeting with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. It was made possible by the UN Security Council’s Sanctions committee that waived the travel ban on Mr. Muttaqi, who is on the list of sanctioned terrorists since 2001. New Delhi has strategic reasons for the warm welcome and enhanced relationship. Close ties neutralise the considerable security risk and terror threat from India’s western flank, and protect India’s personnel and considerable investment in projects there. The deterioration in Afghan-Pakistan ties indicates that the Taliban, as an “enemy’s enemy”, could prove a valuable ally. Given that the Taliban now control nearly all of Afghanistan, it would seem pragmatic to engage with them at the level other regional powers including Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran and the Central Asian states do. India has announced that it would upgrade the Indian Embassy in Kabul, a “technical mission” thus far, and that both sides will exchange diplomats. This takes India a step closer to recognising the Taliban government, something only Russia has done. India also announced initiatives to build hospitals, provide humanitarian assistance and enhance trade levels. Significantly, both sides “emphasized respect for each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” — indicating that neither side accepts Pakistan’s territorial claims. Mr. Muttaqi also affirmed that the Afghan government will not allow its territory to be used against India, a considerable shift from 2001-21 when Taliban forces targeted India’s missions and infrastructure projects.

While the text of the joint statement was substantive, the headlines of the visit have been overshadowed by several missteps and poorly structured optics. The press conference at the Afghan Embassy, and the attempt to raise the flag of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan was one. It also emerged that no women journalists had been invited, leading to outrage. Two days later, Mr. Muttaqi held another, all-inclusive press conference. The government, which distanced itself from the event, missed an opportunity to express its stand on the wider question of the Taliban’s ban on women’s education and employment, lack of an inclusive political process, treatment of minorities and past attacks by the group. While engaging the Taliban is no doubt important, and vital, for regional security, India must clarify how far it plans to go down the road of appeasing the group, and risking its reputation, towards that end.