On India building ties with Taliban

The official reception that India accorded to visiting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi of Afghanistan and his discussions with India’s foreigner minister S Jaishankar along with India’s offer to rebuild impoverished Afghanistan has drawn international attention. During the 2001 US invasion of Afghanistan, India, alongside developing close ties with the leadership in Kabul, played significant role in the country’s infrastructure development. However, since the Taliban recaptured Kabul in 2021 in the aftermath of the complete withdrawal of NATO troops from Afghanistan, the world has witnessed a complete blockade on Taliban-ruled country. Although parts of the country were still initially controlled by the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance, the Taliban managed to completely drive out the opposition and take control of the country. They succeeded in establishing ties with some powers, including Russia, while still maintaining its strong regressive image. Under the leadership of Mullah Hassan Akhund, Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan, efforts are underway at a rapid pace to expand the country's economic, industrial, and educational opportunities overcoming international sanctions. At the same time, the UN sanctions are justified due to the regime’s notoriety in denying education to women, who make up half of the population, and shutting doors on them from getting government jobs and employment opportunities.However, it is important to remember that this cannot be corrected through foreign intervention or sanctions. Only through strong interventions by domestic social reformative organizations can this be achieved. The world should provide material and moral support to such organizations. The Modi government's pressure tactics seems to be successful in granting special permission to Amir Khan Muttaqi , who is on the top of the UN sanctions list, to visit India. One has to understand it stems not so much from humanitarian concerns towards Afghanistan's dire situation as the pressures of current political circumstances.

The hostility between India and Pakistan continue without any change amid India claiming that the Operation Sindoor, the counter-terrorism operation carried out in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, was halted at Pakistan’s request with Trump claiming that the military action ended because of his intervention no matter whatever was the truth. Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, along with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, has called for Trump to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The situation today is one has to be watchful of the unpredictable personality of Trump. It is also important to note that India's policy stems from the Chanakya strategy of 'enemy of an enemy is friend' thus India’s policy is apparently to take onboard Pakistan's enemy, the Taliban in Afghanistan. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of being behind the ongoing terrorist attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Pakistan. Most recently, Afghanistan claimed to have killed 53 Pakistani soldiers and Pakistan claimed it had killed 200 Taliban members in a recent armed clash on the Afghan-Pakistan border. Pakistan is deporting thousands of Afghans. Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who is on a visit to India, warned that it would retaliate strongly. He has also promised that terrorist attacks against India will never be allowed to take place from Afghan soil. The Modi government, along with announcing its decision to upgrade the diplomatic mission in Kabul to the level of an embassy, has offered to ensure the implementation of several programs in the health, education and industry sectors. There is nothing wrong in providing humanitarian assistance to anyone in any circumstances. The stability of the region depends on the recognition that peaceful coexistence, mutual cooperation, and friendship must be fostered globally in general and among neighboring countries in particular.