India’s Taliban outreach

Improving relations with the Taliban will help India secure its economic, security and strategic interests.

On January 8, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Mishri met Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Dubai, signalling the expansion of India’s bilateral ties with Afghanistan. This meeting wasn’t a surprise as there have been several engagements with the Taliban after India initially shed its reservation on the group and, unlike in the past, was pragmatic about its relations. It was held following India’s condemnation of Pakistan’s air strike in Paktika, Afghanistan, that killed 46 Afghans. Pakistan launched its first cross-border airstrike in March last year in retaliation for the killing of seven soldiers in a suicide attack by the Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP).