Taliban’s Amir Khan Muttaqi Deepens India Ties, Says ‘Pakistan Not Our Only Neighbor’

Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi declared on Monday that Afghanistan cherishes peace with the world—except where tensions with Pakistan continue to simmer—while rolling out the red carpet for deeper ties with India during his groundbreaking week-long visit to New Delhi. Landing on October 9 after a hard-won UN sanctions waiver, the first top Taliban leader to set foot in India since 2021's chaotic takeover, Muttaqi's trip marks a seismic shift in Kabul's outreach, bypassing Islamabad's stranglehold and eyeing New Delhi as a lifeline for economic revival. "We don't want conflict with anyone. There is peace in Afghanistan," he told reporters, subtly jabbing at border skirmishes that have claimed over 50 Pakistani soldiers and seen 19 Afghan outposts seized, before adding, "Pakistan is not our only neighbor. We have five other neighbors... All of them are happy with us."

The visit, cleared by the UN Security Council's Taliban Sanctions Committee on September 30 despite ongoing travel bans, underscores India's pragmatic thaw toward the Taliban regime, driven by shared concerns over terrorism and a desire to counterbalance Pakistan's influence. Muttaqi, fresh from a regional summit in Moscow where India joined Pakistan, China, Iran, and Central Asian powers in opposing U.S. military meddling like the Bagram airbase grab, met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on October 10 for marathon talks on trade, economy, and security. "I met the Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar and talked about economy, trade, and other issues," Muttaqi revealed at a Sunday press conference, expressing optimism that "our visits will have a positive impact on the India-Afghanistan relationship." He highlighted booming bilateral trade surpassing $1 billion annually—fueled by Afghan dry fruits, saffron, and minerals flooding Indian markets—and hailed New Delhi's decision to elevate its technical mission in Kabul to full embassy status, a move announced during the Jaishankar huddle that signals formal diplomatic normalization after years of frosty standoffs.

Yet, Muttaqi didn't shy away from the elephant in the room: escalating clashes along the Durand Line, where Pakistani incursions have drawn fierce Taliban ripostes. On Sunday, he issued a veiled ultimatum, warning Islamabad that Kabul holds "other options" if peace talks falter—a cryptic nod to potential alliances with India or Iran that could reroute trade and isolate Pakistan further. The minister's itinerary packed in cultural olive branches, including a Monday jaunt to Uttar Pradesh's Deoband seminary for chats with Islamic scholars like Mufti Abul Qasim Nomani, a Tuesday pilgrimage to Agra's Taj Mahal, and Wednesday meetings with Indian business tycoons hosted by a top chamber of commerce. These gestures aim to humanize the Taliban brand, emphasizing 45 years of strife yielding "tremendous peace" that now draws global diplomats to Kabul's door. "Due to this peace, people from all over the world come for diplomatic purposes. Everyone is happy," he beamed, positioning Afghanistan as a stable hub ripe for investment.

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Trade topped the agenda, with Muttaqi pitching India's role in unlocking Afghanistan's vast mineral wealth—lithium, copper, and rare earths worth trillions—through joint ventures and infrastructure. He urged New Delhi to fast-track access via the iconic Wagah border, dubbing it the "fastest trade route" between the nations and a bypass around Pakistan's chokeholds on Afghan exports. Beyond minerals, discussions touched health sector collaborations, consular services for stranded Afghans in India, and port access via Chabahar in Iran—another Modi-backed project that's already funneled humanitarian aid to Kabul. Analysts see this as Taliban diversification: weaning off Pakistan dependency amid refugee expulsions and cross-border raids, while reassuring India that Afghan soil won't host anti-India militants like those behind the April Pahalgam attack, a stance Muttaqi reiterated from prior Dubai meetups with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.

As Muttaqi's tour wraps on October 16, his overtures could redraw regional fault lines, bolstering India's strategic depth in Afghanistan and squeezing Pakistan's leverage. With bilateral trade humming and embassy flags poised to rise, the message from Kabul is clear: in a neighborhood of wary giants, India's the neighbor Afghanistan wants to keep happy—Pakistan's bruised egos be damned. This "new normal," as one diplomat quipped, might just turn old foes into unlikely partners, one billion-dollar deal at a time.

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