India and Taliban Engage in First-Ever Diplomatic Talk Since Kabul Takeover
Historic First: Jaishankar Speaks to Taliban Foreign Minister
In a significant development marking a new chapter in India-Taliban relations, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a landmark telephonic conversation with Taliban’s acting Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, on Thursday. This is the first-ever interaction between the two sides at the ministerial level since the Taliban took control of Kabul in August 2021.
The conversation, described by Jaishankar as a ‘good one,’ focused on reaffirming India’s longstanding friendship with the Afghan people and its continued commitment to supporting Afghanistan’s development needs. Jaishankar expressed appreciation for Muttaqi’s condemnation of the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which was carried out by Pakistan-linked terrorists and resulted in the deaths of 26 people.
Addressing Distrust and Building Cooperation
The call comes amidst ongoing efforts to mend ties between India and Afghanistan. In the wake of the Pahalgam attack, the Taliban regime in Kabul condemned the violence and India dispatched its special envoy Anand Prakash to meet Muttaqi in Kabul to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations.
Jaishankar’s conversation with Muttaqi also addressed attempts by certain sections of the Pakistani media to sow discord between India and Afghanistan by spreading baseless claims. The Indian minister welcomed the Taliban’s firm rejection of these attempts to create distrust.
Moving forward, both sides discussed ways to enhance cooperation across various domains, including trade and transit. The conversation signifies a potential shift in the diplomatic landscape, opening doors for a more constructive engagement between India and the Taliban.
A Look Back: Past Interactions and New Beginnings
This marks the highest-level contact between India and the Taliban since the group’s takeover of Afghanistan. Prior to this, the last political-level interaction occurred in 1999-2000 when then-External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh engaged with Taliban Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil following the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 to Kandahar in 1999.
The current dialogue, though nascent, holds promise for a more stable and cooperative relationship between India and Afghanistan in the years to come.
