The meeting between Indian and Taliban delegations in Kabul has created concern for Pakistan. The presence of Taliban Foreign Minister Muttaki in the meeting led by Joint Secretary JP Singh has made Islamabad uneasy. Pakistan, which has often focused on Kashmir after talks with Taliban, is now facing criticism from its own people. During the meeting, the Taliban not only thanked India but also announced a $35 million investment in Iran's Chabahar port, which is a collaborative effort between India and Iran. The Afghan-Taliban plan to use Chabahar port for trade with India has made the meeting a more talked about topic in Pakistan than in India.
The Taliban is seeking economic development and considers India's support essential. In particular, there were two recent attacks on Pakistan from Iran, raising questions among the Pakistani people about their government's foreign relations. In this context, Pakistan is grappling with existential concerns, especially as Afghanistan, where Pakistan's adversaries are based, is moving closer to India. India is actively engaging with Afghanistan, launching its technical mission in Kabul in June 2022, frequently meeting Afghan officials and providing humanitarian assistance.
During the recent visit the delegation also met Afghan officials and former President Hamid Karzai. India discussed its commitment to assist the Afghan people and explored the use of Chabahar port by Afghan traders. Seeing this diplomatic move by India, Pakistan is worried about its geopolitical position, as the Taliban government has emphasized its stand against allowing Afghan territory to be used against any country, including India.
Taliban government spokesman Suhail Shaheen stressed the importance of normalizing Afghan-India relations, emphasizing the age-old friendship. Taliban has made it clear that Afghanistan's land will not be allowed to be used against India or any other country. Despite facing significant challenges such as poverty, hunger and inflation, Pakistan has not changed its policies, harboring terrorists and continuing hostile rhetoric. The international community has a clear understanding of Pakistan's stance, with the Kashmir issue being a major focus of Pakistan's foreign narrative.