In a first, India and Taliban engaged in high-level bilateral talks in Dubai, as Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi on Wednesday. The meeting highlighted New Delhi’s commitment to addressing Afghanistan’s urgent development needs. Misri also received an assurance from Muttaqi that Afghan territory would not be used against India.
The meeting signals a major shift in India’s approach towards Kabul since the Taliban took over in 2021. Earlier, Indian officials at the Joint Secretary level had met with Taliban ministers, including Amir Khan Muttaqi and Defence Minister Mohammad Yaqoob. However, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s discussion represents a significant upgrade in engagement.
“In view of the current need for development activities, it was decided that India would consider engaging in development projects in the near future, in addition to the ongoing humanitarian assistance programme,” read a statement issued by the MEA.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that both sides agreed to boost the use of Chabahar Port to support trade, commercial activities, and humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan.
India-Afghanistan Unite Over Pakistan
The meeting in Dubai occurred amid growing tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Afghanistan’s ties with Islamabad have worsened due to Pakistan Taliban activities and retaliatory airstrikes on Afghan soil. India expressed solidarity with Afghanistan earlier this week, criticizing Pakistan for blaming its neighbors for internal issues. The meeting came two days after India condemned Pakistan’s recent airstrikes, which killed 46 people, including women and children.
“We have noted the media reports on airstrikes on Afghan civilians, including women and children, in which several precious lives have been lost,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
“We unequivocally condemn any attack on innocent civilians. It is an old practice of Pakistan to blame its neighbours for its own internal failures. We have also noted the response of an Afghan spokesperson in this regard,” he added.
On December 24, Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan killed 46 people, drawing heavy criticism and a strong warning from Afghanistan’s current government.
The strikes, carried out by Pakistani fighter jets, hit civilian areas in Barmal district, Paktika province. This marked the second such attack in 2024, following a similar strike in March that killed eight, including three children.
Humanitarian Assistance To Afghanistan
According to a statement by Ministry of External Affairs, the Foreign Secretary emphasized India’s long-standing friendship with the Afghan people and strong people-to-people ties. He highlighted India’s commitment to addressing Afghanistan’s urgent development needs. The two sides also discussed boosting sports cooperation, particularly in cricket, which is popular among Afghanistan’s youth.
During discussions on ongoing humanitarian aid, the Afghan Minister expressed gratitude to India for its continued support.
In response to Afghanistan’s needs, India has sent several shipments, including 50,000 MT of wheat, 300 tonnes of medicines, 27 tonnes of earthquake relief, 40,000 litres of pesticides, 100 million polio vaccine doses, 1.5 million Covid vaccine doses, 11,000 drug rehabilitation kits, 500 winter clothing units, and 1.2 tonnes of stationery.
