Why Taliban's warm welcome in India has Pakistan on edge

Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has arrived in India for an unprecedented week-long diplomatic visit — a move once considered unimaginable. This marks the highest-level Taliban visit to India since the group seized power in Afghanistan in 2021. While it signals a potential shift in South Asia’s complex geopolitical dynamics, neighbouring Pakistan is sure to pay close attention to how those ties will unfold.

The visit represents a major recalibration of India’s Afghan policy and highlights the changing alliances in the region. Historically, India supported the US-backed Afghan government that the Taliban overthrew in 2021, while Pakistan maintained close ties with the Taliban. Today, however, relations between Islamabad and Kabul have sharply deteriorated, as highlighted in the BBC's recent article, while India appears to be cultivating a pragmatic relationship with Afghanistan’s de facto rulers.

During his eight-day stay, Muttaqi is scheduled to meet senior Indian officials to discuss diplomatic, trade, and economic cooperation. Following talks with Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar on October 10, New Delhi announced plans to reopen its embassy in Kabul, which was closed four years ago following the Taliban’s return to power.

Jaishankar emphasized that “closer cooperation between us contributes to your national development as well as regional stability and resilience,” reaffirming India’s “full commitment to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of Afghanistan.” Muttaqi, meanwhile, described India as a “close friend” and expressed hope that his visit would further improve relations.

Muttaqi’s visit follows a diplomatic exemption granted by the United Nations, allowing him to travel despite existing sanctions. He arrived from Russia, the only country so far to fully recognize the Taliban government. Analysts say the visit underscores realpolitik on both sides: India seeks regional stability and economic connectivity, while the Taliban aim to reduce dependence on Pakistan and gain a degree of international legitimacy.

Though India has not officially recognized the Taliban government, it maintains a small diplomatic mission in Kabul and provides humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. Engagement between India’s Hindu nationalist government and the Islamist Taliban began quietly after the group’s return to power and has gradually deepened.

Complex history shapes today’s ties of the regional triangle

Experts Harsh V. Pant and Shivam Shekhawat, cited by the BBC, argue that the Taliban’s strained ties with Pakistan have pushed them to diversify alliances. “The deterioration in ties with Pakistan allows them to hedge their bets and show how they are no longer dependent on Islamabad for survival,” they said. Deepening engagement with India, they added, also helps the Taliban “create a perception of legitimacy for their domestic constituents.”

For Pakistan, the growing cooperation between Kabul and New Delhi represents a strategic setback, according to the article. Once seen as the Taliban’s primary ally, Pakistan now accuses Afghanistan’s rulers of harbouring the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), which has carried out attacks inside Pakistan. In response, Islamabad has launched airstrikes in Afghan territory and labelled Afghanistan an “enemy country.”

India’s renewed engagement with the Taliban, by contrast, is guided by security and strategic interests. New Delhi’s foremost concern is preventing militant groups such as Islamic State, al-Qaeda, and other India-focused outfits from using Afghan territory for terrorism. The Taliban have repeatedly assured India that they will not permit Afghan soil to be used for anti-Indian activities — a pledge reiterated by Muttaqi during his visit.

Beyond security, India views Afghanistan as a gateway to Central Asia and Iran, essential for countering Chinese and Pakistani influence in the region. Strengthening ties with Kabul could support India’s plans for regional connectivity projects and energy trade corridors.

Despite growing engagement, both sides remain cautious. The BBC notes that the India-Taliban relationship remains largely tactical rather than strategic, shaped by lingering mistrust, domestic political sensitivities, and concerns about international backlash. Nonetheless, the visit marks a turning point in regional diplomacy, reflecting shifting power dynamics and a pragmatic willingness on both sides to engage in dialogue after decades of hostility.

By Nazrin Sadigova