Taliban Seeks to Renew and Normalise Diplomatic Ties with India: Suhail Shaheen

Suhail Shaheen: Afghanistan is interested in rebuilding and normalising relations with India and welcomes investments for the country's development, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen mentioned on Friday, when asked about India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's phone call with Taliban acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, which was the first contact between the Indian government and the Taliban since they took control of Afghanistan in August 2021.

The phone call was the highest level of contact by the Indian government with the Taliban since they took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, raised some eyebrows in diplomatic circles as it came at a time of increased tensions between India and Pakistan.

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The phone call made by Muttaqi to Jaishankar ahead of his planned travel to Iran and China next week is also important as well, according to people familiar with the developments who spoke under the condition of anonymity. The phone call built on a meeting held between Muttaqi and foreign secretary Vikram Misri in Dubai in January, and an earlier visit to Kabul by the Indian diplomat who is in charge of relations with Afghanistan days after the Pahalgam terror attack.

When asked about the significance of the contact between Jaishankar and Muttaqi, Shaheen, who is also the Taliban's envoy in Qatar, told HT: “Afghanistan has had historical relations with India, there is a need to renew that and normalise relations. We have a balanced approach policy, and our arms are open for all countries to invest in Afghanistan and cooperate with us in various fields.”

Shaheen added, “We are building everything from scratch and we need such relations.”

The pledges for investments from the Taliban side was considerable as both sides are looking for ways to grow bilateral trade from the current level of around $1 billion.

This was an obvious reference to claims in a section of the Pakistani media that India "hired" the Taliban to orchestrate a "false flag" operation at Pahalgam.

The call came during a trip by the Taliban's acting deputy interior minister Mohammad Ibrahim Sadr who was in India. The people mentioned above, however, said Sadr's presence was not an official engagement and he had travelled to New Delhi on May 3 for "medical treatment".

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The people mentioned above also said the Taliban side reiterated its vehement denunciation of the Pahalgam incident and took note of alleged claims of missile attacks by India on Afghanistan disseminated by Pakistan's military officials. The Taliban foreign ministry condemned the terror attack directed at a group of tourists in Jammu and Kashmir in a statement dated April 23, adding such attacks defeat the objectives of fostering regional security and stability.

Officials informed that despite India’s announcement to shut the only working land border with Pakistan at Attari as part of punitive action announced after the assault on Pahalgam, Indian authorities granted ground clearance for 160 Afghan trucks carrying dry fruits and nuts as a special consideration, however, the people said that the Pakistani has blocked the clearance of these trucks on the Pakistani side of the border crossing (the only transit and trade outlet available for Afghan traders to trade with India).

Based on what transpired during the January meeting in Dubai between foreign secretary Misri and Muttaqi, the Indian side is considering some development projects on behalf of the Afghan populace, the sources said. “We are also considering humanitarian assistance for the Afghan refugees expelled by Pakistan,” one of the people said.

Over the past two years India has sent 50,000 tonnes of wheat, 350 tonnes of medication, 40,000 litres of Malathion pesticide and 28 tonnes of earthquake supplies to Afghanistan, and secured 2,000 online scholarships on behalf of Afghan students.

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