NEW DELHI: The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan is making a fresh push to normalise relations with India as part of its broader campaign for international legitimacy, sources familiar with the development said. Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s phone call with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday was the highest-level contact between New Delhi and the Taliban since the group seized power in August 2021.“The phone call, which took place ahead of Muttaqi’s scheduled visits to Iran and China, signals Kabul’s growing interest in re-engaging India on critical bilateral issues,” said a source. These include trade facilitation, visa processes, the repatriation of Afghan prisoners, and strengthening collaboration on the strategic Chabahar port — a key project that India has backed to enhance regional connectivity and help landlocked Afghanistan gain sea access, bypassing Pakistan.“There is a consistent conversation between Indian and Taliban officials,” pointed out a source.This includes a meeting between Muttaqi and Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in Dubai in January, and a recent visit to Kabul by an Indian diplomat overseeing Afghanistan relations, shortly after the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.Taliban officials strongly condemned the Pahalgam attack and dismissed Pakistani military reports alleging Indian missile strikes on Afghan soil as “baseless.” These efforts are seen as part of a broader Taliban effort to distance itself from regional instability and present a more responsible image on the world stage.Beyond India, Muttaqi’s upcoming diplomatic calendar underscores the Taliban’s expanding regional outreach. He is expected to visit Tehran and Beijing in the coming weeks as the group seeks both recognition and economic engagement.
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