In a development that redrew the diplomatic map of South Asia, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar directly spoke with the Taliban’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Thursday. This telephone conversation is the first ministerial-level outreach by India to the Taliban administration in Afghanistan and signals the beginning of a new chapter in bilateral relations.
India has not formally recognized the Taliban government, but this historic dialogue reflects a changing pragmatic approach towards regional diplomacy.
First Ministerial-Level Talks with Taliban
Taking to the social media platform X, Dr Jaishankar termed the discussion fruitful and reaffirmed India’s relations with the Afghan people. “Good conversation with Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi this evening. Deeply appreciate his condemnation of the Pahalgam terrorist attack,” he posted. He underscored India’s commitment, adding, “Reaffirmed our traditional friendship with the Afghan people and continued support for their development needs. Discussed ways and means of taking cooperation forward.
Good conversation with Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi this evening.
Deeply appreciate his condemnation of the Pahalgam terrorist attack.
Welcomed his firm rejection of recent attempts to create distrust between India and Afghanistan through false and…
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 15, 2025
This call comes in the wake of the Taliban regime’s severe condemnation of the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that left 26 innocent tourists lives. This public denunciation by the Taliban has created space for diplomatic dialogue between the two countries.
A Strong Message to Pakistan
Dr Jaishankar used the opportunity to counter Pakistani disinformation campaigns aimed at maligning India-Afghanistan ties. He welcomed Mr Muttaqi’s stance on this, writing, “Firm rejection of recent attempts to create distrust between India and Afghanistan through false and baseless reports” circulated by Pakistan-based media.
د ا.ا.ا. د بهرنیو چارو وزیر محترم مولوي امیر خان متقي او د هند جمهوریت د بهرنیو چارو وزیر ښاغلي جې شنکر ټيلیفوني خبرې وکړې.
په دې مکالمه کې د دوو اړخیزو اړیکو پر پیاوړتیا، تجارت او د دیپلوماتیکو اړیکو د کچې پر لوړولو خبرې وشوې. pic.twitter.com/weErRrvARu— Hafiz Zia Ahmad (@HafizZiaAhmad) May 15, 2025
او ناروغانو ته د هند د ویزو په ورکړه کې د اسانتیاوو او په هند کې د افغان بندیانو د خلاصېدو او هیواد ته د راستنولو غوښتنه وکړه.
د هند د بهرنیو چارو وزیر ښاغلي جې شنکر هم له افغانستان سره د هند اړیکې تاریخي وبللې او زیاته یې کړه، چې هېواد به يې له افغانستان سره خپلو همکاریو ته…
— Hafiz Zia Ahmad (@HafizZiaAhmad) May 15, 2025
This reaction is a diplomatic counter-narrative to Pakistan’s effort to associate the Taliban with disturbances in Jammu and Kashmir, adding more strength to India’s stance on local terrorism and cross-border hostility.
Chabahar Port and Trade Routes in Focus
During the talk, Mr Muttaqi had asked for additional medical visas for Afghan citizens and stressed bilateral trade and consular assistance. He had also broached the issue of Afghan detainees lodged in Indian prisons and talked about the development of the Iranian port Chabahar.
The importance of Chabahar Port is further understood amidst India-Pakistan trade halt. Since Afghanistan is a landlocked country, it has limited access to India with Pakistan blocking the land links. Therefore, the Chabahar Port is still an important strategic and commercial connection between the two countries.
Strengthening Diplomatic Engagements
India has maintained regular contact with the Taliban through senior diplomatic channels. Recent visits by Indian diplomats, including Anand Prakash’s meeting with Mr Muttaqi in Kabul after the Pahalgam attack, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s high-level meeting in Dubai earlier this year, have laid the foundation for formal engagements.
Mr JP Singh also traveled to Kabul twice last year, sitting down with senior Taliban ministers. These regular efforts reflect that India is willing to keep lines of communication open based on humanitarian, development, and regional security interests.
Confidence-Building Measures Underway
India has also allowed the Taliban to progressively establish Afghan missions in New Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad. These measures provide Afghan citizens within India with access to consular services such as business, education, and medical care.
On the humanitarian side, India has always been giving assistance, such as 50,000 metric tons of wheat, 300 tons of medication, and millions of doses of vaccines. These actions once again reiterate India’s long-standing commitment to the people of Afghanistan regardless of political acceptance.
This ministerial-level appeal not only highlights India’s strategic adjustment but also indicates its effort to reconcile humanitarian commitment with regional security. Though outright recognition of the Taliban regime is off the cards for the time being, the path of India-Afghanistan relations seems to be directed toward tentative cooperation.
