Afghanistan’s renewed outreach to India marks a major turning point in South Asia’s geopolitics — and a revival of historical ties that once defined the region’s cultural and strategic balance. India and Afghanistan have shared a deep civilizational relationship rooted in trade, culture, and mutual respect, which deteriorated sharply after the Taliban first came to power in the 1990s. That prolonged phase of estrangement now appears to be ending. The Taliban foreign minister’s visit to India and his recognition of Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of India — not only challenges Pakistan’s influence over Kabul but also signals the correction of an aberration in regional diplomacy, restoring the natural warmth of Indo-Afghan relations.
Subhash Dhuliya
The geopolitics of South Asia appears to be on the threshold of a radical transformation. A region long defined by complex rivalries, shifting alliances, and historical mistrust is once again undergoing a major recalibration. The visit of Afghanistan’s foreign minister Amir Khan Mutaqqi to India has signaled the emergence of a new geopolitical equation — one that challenges Pakistan’s long-held influence over Kabul and opens a fresh chapter in India–Afghanistan relations.
A Diplomatic Earthquake in South Asia
In a move that stunned regional observers, the Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Mutaqqi not only engaged with top Indian officials but also went on record acknowledging Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of India. This statement, made from Indian soil, represents a diplomatic earthquake in South Asia. It marks the first time a senior Taliban representative has taken a position that directly contradicts Pakistan’s long-standing narrative on Kashmir.
Islamabad’s reaction was swift and bitter. Pakistan summoned the Afghan envoy and lodged a formal protest, accusing Kabul of undermining “the sensitivities of the Islamic ummah.” The episode lays bare a new fault line between two neighbors that once shared ideological and strategic intimacy. Pakistan’s military establishment, which had nurtured the Taliban for decades, now finds itself alienated and confronted with a government in Kabul that seems increasingly assertive and independent.
A New Chapter in India–Afghanistan Ties
For India, the Afghan foreign minister’s visit was not merely symbolic but substantively significant. New Delhi responded by enhancing the diplomatic status of the Afghan embassy, effectively recognizing its role as a legitimate representative of Afghanistan, even though India has yet to formally recognize the Taliban government. Several agreements were reportedly signed to deepen cooperation in trade, education, cultural exchange, and infrastructure support.
This shift signals India’s pragmatic approach — a recognition that engaging the Taliban is necessary for regional stability, counterterrorism cooperation, and economic connectivity, particularly through the Chabahar port and Central Asia corridors. The outreach also reflects New Delhi’s strategic calculation that a stable, sovereign Afghanistan free from Pakistan’s proxy influence aligns with India’s long-term security interests.
Kabul’s Warning to Islamabad
Equally significant were the remarks made by the Afghan foreign minister during his India visit. He warned Pakistan against cross-border aggression, declaring that if Pakistan continues to attack Afghanistan, “they will meet the same fate as the Soviets, the Americans, and NATO.” The statement invoked the historic characterization of Afghanistan as the “graveyard of empires” — a land where foreign powers have repeatedly failed to impose their will.
This rhetoric, while fiery, underscores Kabul’s growing defiance and self-assertion. It also reveals the depth of Afghan resentment over Pakistan’s alleged support to militant groups that continue to target Afghan soil and Pakistan hostile military attacks on Afghanistan. During Afghan foreign minister visit, Pakistan conducted air attacks on Kabul and some other places. It infuriated Afghan leadership. In retaliation, Afghanistan also launched attacks on Pakistan military posts on border. Afghan attacks were stopped after intervention of Saudi Arabia and Qatar. For the Taliban regime — now grappling with internal factionalism, economic crisis, and diplomatic isolation — projecting strength abroad may serve both as a deterrent to Pakistan and as a message to the world that Afghanistan is no one’s client state.
The Historical and Civilizational Context
India and Afghanistan share deep historical, cultural, and civilizational ties. For centuries, trade routes, ideas, and people flowed across the Hindu Kush, linking the subcontinent with Central Asia. India’s association with Afghanistan has been rooted not just in politics but in culture and sentiment.
Indian popular culture, particularly cinema, has often reflected this emotional connection. The classic film Kabuliwala, based on Rabindranath Tagore’s story, captured the warmth, dignity, and humanity of Afghans who came to India in search of livelihood but carried with them an unbreakable moral code. In the Indian imagination, Afghans were seen as brave, peace-loving, and loyal — symbols of friendship and justice.
This shared cultural memory forms a powerful undercurrent in India’s contemporary engagement with Afghanistan. It is also a reminder that despite periods of political estrangement — such as during the Soviet-backed regime’s fall and the rise of the Taliban — the civilizational bond between the two societies has endured.
Pakistan’s Strategic Dilemma
For Pakistan, these developments mark a serious diplomatic setback. Islamabad’s decades-long strategy of cultivating “strategic depth” in Afghanistan — using it as a against India — appears to be collapsing. The Taliban’s independent posturing has upended Pakistan’s expectations of a compliant regime in Kabul.
Moreover, Pakistan’s internal instability — from economic distress to rising militant violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan — has weakened its regional leverage. Its attempts to project itself as the voice of the Islamic world on issues like Kashmir now appear increasingly hollow, especially when confronted by a neighboring Islamic regime that openly acknowledges India’s sovereignty over the region.
India’s Emerging Strategic Opportunity
The shifting dynamics offer India a rare strategic opportunity. A cooperative relationship with Kabul could help secure India’s investments in Afghan reconstruction, expand access to Central Asian energy resources, and strengthen New Delhi’s position in regional connectivity projects that counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
India’s nuanced approach — combining humanitarian aid, educational exchanges, and cautious diplomatic engagement — may prove more sustainable than Washington’s militarized interventions or Pakistan’s proxy warfare model. By reviving historical ties and building trust through people-centric diplomacy, India can position itself as a stabilizing force in South Asia’s evolving power matrix.
A New Regional Order in the Making
The geopolitical winds in South Asia are shifting rapidly. The Afghan foreign minister’s visit to India may well be remembered as the moment when the old certainties of regional politics began to unravel. For the first time in decades, Afghanistan appears to be charting an independent course, while India finds itself at the center of a potential new alignment grounded in shared interests, historical affinity, and pragmatic engagement.
As Pakistan grapples with its diminishing influence and internal challenges, South Asia stands on the cusp of a new order — one defined not by old ideological divisions but by emerging partnerships that prioritize stability, connectivity, and sovereignty. The story is still unfolding, but one thing is clear: the political map of South Asia is being redrawn before our eyes.
The Road Ahead
The only hurdle that may emerge is the complex power structure within Afghanistan itself. The current regime functions more as a coalition of factions than a unified government, with different groups pulling the levers of power in divergent directions.
The Taliban, since its inception, has remained a deeply fundamentalist outfit driven by rigid ideological beliefs. Whether this apparent shift in its diplomatic posture and engagement with India can endure will depend on its internal cohesion, evolving worldview, and genuine willingness to act as a responsible regional player. One can only hope that this change in policy is not momentary but marks the beginning of a sustained transformation.
Author’s Note
Subhash Dhuliya is a researcher, educator, and commentator on global affairs, with a focus on media, culture, and international communication. Founder-Director, Newswriters.in Former Vice Chancellor, Uttarakhand Open University Former Professor, IGNOU | IIMC | CURAJ. This article is the original work of the author and has been edited with the assistance of ChatGPT.
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