Kabul/New Delhi: India and Afghanistan continue to redefine the historic friendship between the two countries even as Delhi’s Khari Baoli, Asia’s largest dry fruit and spice market, bears the brunt of current geopolitical situation and lack of imports from Kabul.
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar’s Thursday evening call with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, has sent a clear message that the Taliban regime, despite having not been granted official recognition by the Indian government, continues to see New Delhi as its most trusted and reliable partner in the region.
The “good conversation” between EAM Jaishankar and Muttaqi, during which Kabul not only condemned the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack but also outrightly dismissed attempts being made to create distrust with New Delhi, would have given sleepless nights to Pakistan’s political and military leadership across the Durand Line.
“Welcomed his (Muttaqi) firm rejection of recent attempts to create distrust between India and Afghanistan through false and baseless reports. Underlined our traditional friendship with the Afghan people and continuing support for their development needs. Discussed ways and means of taking cooperation forward,” EAM Jaishankar posted on X after the call.
Hafiz Zia Ahmad, the Director of Public Communication at the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan-Ministry of Foreign Affairs (IEA-MoFA) asserted that the discussion between the two ministers focused on enhancing bilateral relations, promoting trade, and upgrading diplomatic engagement.
“The Indian Foreign Minister considered the relations between Afghanistan and India to be historical and therefore he stressed the importance of these relations as a milestone for the two countries and for their positive development,” Ahmad told IANS in an exclusive chat on Friday while detailing that the issues of facilitating visas for traders, patients and release of Afghan prisoners in India were also discussed during the phone call.
Only last week, Afghanistan had termed Pakistan’s allegations of India launching missile strikes on the Afghan territory during Operation Sindoor as absolutely “baseless” and “unfounded”.
In an interview with Afghan media outlet Hurriyat Radio on May 10, Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry spokesperson Enaitullah Khawarzmi had outrightly rejected Pakistan’s allegations that India had carried out a missile strike on Afghan soil, labeling such claims as false and unfounded.
The reaction from Kabul came a few hours after the Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had rejected Pakistan’s “totally frivolous allegations”, terming them as nothing but “ludicrous claims”.
Kabul had earlier also expressed deep concerns about the escalating tensions, following the heinous Pahalgam terrorist attack which had resulted in the death of 26 innocent civilians.
Not too long ago, several experts – especially in Islamabad and Rawalpindi – had thought that the takeover of Kabul by Taliban 2.0 in 2021 would the beginning of the endgame for India’s deep engagement with the people of Afghanistan that had scaled new heights under the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, especially when it came to humanitarian and developmental assistance.
Then Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt Gen Faiz Hameed’s arrival in Kabul in September 2021 following the Taliban takeover and his “tea is fantastic” pictures were promoted as a symbolic message for India by the Pakistani authorities.
Less than four years later, Hammed is in military custody after court-martial proceedings and India sits firmly in the cockpit as far as Afghanistan is concerned.
“India’s approach to Afghanistan continues to be guided by its historical relations, friendship with its people and relevant UN Resolutions, including UNSCR 2593. The India based personnel of the Embassy in Kabul returned to India in the aftermath of the takeover by the Taliban. Since June 2022, an Indian technical team is positioned in the Embassy and is active in respect of humanitarian assistance and other situations. India’s stance in regard to recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is in consonance with that of the international community,” said EAM Jaishankar while replying to a question in Lok Sabha in December 2023.
“India has historical and civilizational ties with Afghanistan and our development partnership has included more than five hundred projects spread across each of the 34 provinces of the country in critical areas of power, water supply, road connectivity, healthcare, education, agriculture and capacity building,” he had added.
The tables were not turned overnight but a result of several rounds of backroom diplomacy.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Joint Secretary J P Singh, an experienced career diplomat and expert hand in dealing with AfPak who is now Ambassador of India to Israel, paid visits to Kabul as Taliban regime showed willingness to nurture a strong relationship with New Delhi and not emerge as a proxy of Pakistan yet again.
In January this year, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Muttaqi in Dubai less than 48 hours after India had severely condemned the December 24 Pakistani airstrikes on Afghanistan that had killed 46 people, including several women and children.
During the meeting, India also pledged further humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, including material support in the first instance to the health sector and for the rehabilitation of Afghan refugees.
According to the MEA, the Foreign Secretary had underlined the strong people-to-people contacts between the two countries and conveyed India’s readiness to respond to the urgent developmental needs of the Afghan people.
Considering that India had dispatched several shipments of wheat, medicines, earthquake relief aid, pesticides, polio doses, Covid vaccines, hygiene kits for the drug de-addiction programme, winter clothing and stationery kits over the past few years, the Afghan Minister appreciated and thanked the Indian leadership for continuing to engage and support the people of Afghanistan.
It was also agreed to promote the use of Chabahar port being developed by India in Iran for supporting trade and commercial activities, including for the purpose of humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan.
“The Afghan side underlined its sensitivities to India’s security concerns. The two sides agreed to remain in touch and continue regular contacts at various levels,” the MEA stated.
Experts reckon that while India has maintained contact with the Taliban for some time, the evolving regional strategic landscape — marked by strained India-Pakistan ties and the Taliban’s growing engagement with China — has accelerated New Delhi’s efforts to deepen its linkages with the group.
“This is not merely a matter of trust. It will take time for India and the Taliban to build mutual confidence. However, regional strategic realities and the Taliban’s desire to normalise relations with India are key drivers of engagement. India represents a major market for Afghan products, and the Taliban recognises that New Delhi can offer substantial development assistance to Afghanistan. For medical and educational needs, Afghan citizens are eager to see ties with India return to normal,” Prof. Gulshan Sachdeva, Chief Coordinator, Daskshin Global South Centre of Excellence at RIS New Delhi and Professor of European Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), told IANS.
(IANS)
