Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri meets Afghanistan Acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, in Dubai on January 8, 2025
| Photo Credit: ANI

The present day Afghanistan “does not pose a threat to any nation”, said the Taliban administration in Kabul on Thursday (January 9, 2024). In a statement issued a day after the Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the ‘Foreign Minister’ of the so called ‘Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA)’, the Taliban expressed gratitude for Indian humanitarian assistance  to the Afghan people and informed  that the Iranian port of Chabahar was discussed between the two sides during the talks held on Wednesday (January 8, 2024).

“Expressing gratitude for India’s humanitarian assistance, Foreign Minister Muttaqi underlined a desire of strengthening political & economic relations with India as a key regional and economic player, in line with IEA’s balanced and economy-centric foreign policy,” said the ‘Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ of the Taliban administration. India has not recognized the Taliban rulers in Kabul where the outfit took charge in August 2021. The Taliban also informed that the discussion between Mr Muttaqi and Mr Misri was attended by its Deputy Ministers of Commerce and Transport. Mr Muttaqi expressed hope for liberalising the visa regime between Afghanistan and India. 

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met on 8 January with Taliban’s official in charge of foreign affairs, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi in the United Arab Emirates in an unprecedented outreach to the organization, which took over Kabul in a military blietzkrieg after overthrowing the government of President Ashraf Ghani.  

“In response to the request from the Afghan side, India will provide further material support in the first instance to the health sector and for the rehabilitation of refugees. The two sides also discussed strengthening of sports (cricket) cooperation,” said the Ministry of External Affairs after the meeting in Dubai on Wednesday.

ALSO READ: The rebounding of Pakistan’s Afghan strategy

“It was also agreed to promote the use of Chabahar port for supporting trade and commercial activities, including for the purpose of humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan,” said the Ministry of External Affairs. Significantly, the meeting between Mr Misri and Mawlawi Muttaqi came days after India “unequivocally condemned” the bombing of Afghan territories on December 24-25 by Pakistan.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates:

A high-level meeting between the Afghan Taliban leadership and senior Indian officials was organised is Dubai on Wednesday. From India, foreign secretary Vikram Misri attended the meeting, while from Afghanistan the acting foreign minister of the Taliban government Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi was present.

The meeting assumes significance as New Delhi and Kabul aim to foster ties in order to enhance cooperation between the two countries. Though New Delhi has continued aiding Afghanistan in a limited capacity, much of its bilateral ties has remained dormant since the Taliban’s takeover in 2021.

The agenda for the meeting in Dubai was to boost bilateral ties between the two nations across varied sectors, including humanitarian aid, developmental assistance, trade, commerce, sports, cultural ties, regional security, and projects of national interest, such as the Chabahar Port in Iran, which acts as a key supply route for goods to reach Afghanistan. India and Afghanistan share a land border too, but that has remained cut-off by Pakistan-occupied Kashmir or PoK since 1947.

In the meeting India pledged further humanitarian support to Afghanistan. This included priority assistance in the healthcare sector, supply of medicines, and rehabilitation of refugees. New Delhi has so far dispatched several shipments consisting of 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat, 300 tonnes of medicines, 27 tonnes of earthquake relief aid, 40,000 litres of pesticides, 100 million polio doses, 1.5 million doses of the Covid vaccine, 11,000 units of hygiene kits for the drug de-addiction programme, 500 units of winter clothing and 1.2 tonnes of stationery kits, over the past few years.

The Afghan Minister appreciated and thanked the Indian leadership for continuing to engage and support the people of Afghanistan.

New Delhi has also conveyed to Kabul its readiness to respond to the urgent developmental needs of the Afghan people. “In view of the current need for development activities, it was decided that India would consider engaging in development projects in the near future,” the foreign ministry said.

As talks progressed, Afghanistan’s foreign minister underlined Kabul’s sensitivities to India’s regional security concerns and assured full cooperation in this regard. According to a press statement “It was also agreed to promote the use of Chabahar port for supporting trade and commercial activities, including for the purpose of humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan.”

Mr Misri also underscored the importance India gives to its historic, civilisational, and cultural ties with Afghanistan. “The foreign secretary underlined India’s historic friendship with the Afghan people and the strong people-to-people contacts between the two countries,” the foreign ministry said.

Foreign Secy @VikramMisri met Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi in Dubai today.

Both sides discussed ’s ongoing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, bilateral issues and security situation in the region. India reiterated its commitment to… pic.twitter.com/a3UyuIqkAG

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) January 8, 2025

Sports, especially cricket, which is loved in both countries also figured in the talks. Both sides agreed to strengthen sporting ties.

Wednesday’s meeting between the two sides comes two days after New Delhi severely condemned the recent Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan that killed 46 people, including several women and children. The Pakistani air strikes were carried out on December 24. It invited massive criticism and a stern warning from the Afghan government.

Pakistani air strikes hit Barmal district in Afghanistan’s Paktika province. This was the second time in 2024 that Islamabad directly targeted “civilian areas” in Afghanistan, said the government in Kabul. In March 2024 too, a similar air strike by Pakistan had killed eight people, including three children.

On Monday, India strongly condemned Pakistan over the air strikes, saying it is Islamabad’s “old practice” to blame its neighbours for its failures within the country. “We have noted the media reports on airstrikes on Afghan civilians, including women and children, in which several precious lives have been lost. 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,” India’s foreign ministry said.

The Taliban, a predominantly Pashtun tribe which has a large presence across Afghanistan, is an ultra-conservative political and religious hardliner group. It refers to itself by its state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The Taliban which was the government in Afghanistan in 1996, was overthrown by the US-led military coalition in 2001 after Washington launched its ‘war against terror’ focusing on the Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. Twenty years later, in 2021, when the US military left Afghanistan abruptly, the Afghan Taliban swept across the nation and regained its political importance by forming the government in the war-torn country.
 

New Delhi:

In a significant move, an Indian delegation met Afghanistan’s acting Defence Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob and offered the use of Chabahar Port in Iran to businesses in his country, and also discussed extending humanitarian assistance to Kabul.

The delegation was led by J P Singh, the Joint Secretary of the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division in the External Affairs Ministry.

During a weekly media briefing here, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said that apart from Mohammad Yaqoob, the delegation also met with former President Hamid Karzai and other senior ministers, along with the heads of UN agencies.

“They had discussions on India’s humanitarian assistance, also how the Chabahar Port can be utilised by the business community in Afghanistan for transactions and for export and import and any other thing that they would like to do,” Jaiswal said in response to a question.

India does not recognise the Taliban regime that has been ruling Afghanistan since 2021.

India has been providing humanitarian aid, including wheat, medicines and medical supplies, to the Afghan people from time to time.

“I also want to recall here that providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan is an important part of our assistance programme and so far in the last few months, and a few years, we have dispatched several shipments of humanitarian assistance. We have longstanding ties with the people of Afghanistan, and these ties will continue to guide our approach towards the country,” Jaiswal said.

Earlier this year, India signed a 10-year contract with Iran to develop and operate the Chabahar Port which was built with its assistance.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

In a significant move, an Indian delegation met Afghanistan’s acting Defence Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob and offered the use of Chabahar Port in Iran to businesses in his country, and also discussed extending humanitarian assistance to Kabul.

The delegation was led by J P Singh, the Joint Secretary of the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division in the External Affairs Ministry.

During a weekly media briefing here, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said that apart from Mohammad Yaqoob, the delegation also met with former President Hamid Karzai and other senior ministers, along with the heads of UN agencies.

“They had discussions on India’s humanitarian assistance, also how the Chabahar Port can be utilised by the business community in Afghanistan for transactions and for export and import and any other thing that they would like to do,” Jaiswal said in response to a question.

India does not recognise the Taliban regime that has been ruling Afghanistan since 2021.

India has been providing humanitarian aid, including wheat, medicines and medical supplies, to the Afghan people from time to time.

“I also want to recall here that providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan is an important part of our assistance programme and so far in the last few months, and a few years, we have dispatched several shipments of humanitarian assistance. We have longstanding ties with the people of Afghanistan, and these ties will continue to guide our approach towards the country,” Jaiswal said.

Earlier this year, India signed a 10-year contract with Iran to develop and operate the Chabahar Port which was built with its assistance.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

India’s permanent representative to the United Nations Ruchira Kamboj has reiterated the country’s steadfast dedication to peace, stability and humanitarian support for Afghanistan.

In a U.N. Security Council briefing on Afghanistan on September 27, Ms. Kamboj highlighted three key observations regarding the situation in Afghanistan while drawing upon India’s historical and civilisational ties with the Afghan people.

“At #UNSC Briefing on Afghanistan, Amb @ruchirakamboj, our Permanent Representative, reaffirmed India’s steadfast dedication to peace, stability & humanitarian support for our Afghan friends. India’s commitment shines through educational scholarships & collaborations with U.N. agencies,” posted Permanent Mission of India to the U.N. on X.

“As Afghanistan’s contiguous neighbour and a friend to its people, India has direct stakes in ensuring the return of peace and stability to the country,” said Ms. Kamboj at the outset of her address.

She also said that India’s collective approach to Afghanistan has been articulated in Security Council Resolution 2593, which was adopted on August 30, 2021, following the fall of Kabul and the subsequent Taliban takeover.

“In this regard, our common and immediate priorities include providing humanitarian assistance for the Afghan people, the formation of an inclusive and representative government structure, combating terrorism and drug trafficking, and preserving the rights of women, children and minorities,” Ms. Kamboj added.

India’s permanent representative to the U.N. also underscored India’s commitment to helping Afghan people through educational scholarships and collaborations with U.N. agencies.

“Given the distressing humanitarian situation in the country, we need to prioritise humanitarian assistance to the people. India has delivered assistance to Afghanistan in the form of food grains, medicines, vaccines, disaster relief aid, winter clothing and materials for education,” she said.

She said that India has continued scholarships to Afghan students. It has also partnered with the U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime in its humanitarian efforts, and “our assistance will continue for the benefit of the people of Afghanistan,” Ms. Khamboj said.

“We have collaborated with several U.N. agencies on the ground and will continue to do so for the welfare of the people of the country,” she said.

She reaffirmed India’s unwavering commitment to “keeping Afghanistan close to our hearts”. “Going forward, India will continue to raise its voice in support of the Afghan people. We believe that the pursuit of peace and stability in Afghanistan is an urgent and shared imperative that demands our collective dedication,” said Ms. Kamboj.

Already grappling with poverty, Afghanistan found itself sinking further into destitution due to international isolation and the economic turmoil triggered by the Taliban’s takeover in 2021.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported a staggering increase in poverty, with 97% of Afghans living below the poverty line, a stark rise from 47% in 2020, according to Amnesty International, an international non-governmental organisation focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom.

The absence of social safety nets forced desperate families into distressing measures such as child marriages and organ trafficking. Despite dire circumstances, the humanitarian aid provided fell far short of meeting the basic needs of the population.
The Afghan economy continued to suffer from the freezing of foreign reserves and the reduction of development assistance, punitive actions taken by the international community in response to the Taliban’s ascent.

In 2022, most of the aid flowing into Afghanistan was humanitarian in nature, primarily aimed at averting starvation, with minimal support for other critical social services such as healthcare, employment, and education.

The mass exodus of skilled professionals — doctors, engineers, lawyers, teachers, and government officials — left these sectors severely under-resourced, exacerbating the country’s woes.

The Taliban regime imposed increasingly draconian restrictions on women’s rights, stifled media freedom, and curtailed freedom of expression. Institutions dedicated to safeguarding human rights were either severely restricted or completely shuttered. Peaceful protesters found themselves at the mercy of arbitrary arrests, torture, and enforced disappearances.

Women’s rights suffered relentless attacks, severely limiting their participation in public life. Shockingly, Afghanistan stood alone as the only country where girls were forbidden from attending secondary school. Almost all initiatives addressing gender-based violence, established during the previous government, were dismantled by the Taliban, leaving women and vulnerable populations even more vulnerable, Amnesty International reported.