Jaishankar-Taliban Call: On May 15, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reported that he had a “good conversation” with Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, the acting Afghan Foreign Minister. Jaishankar expressed gratitude to the Taliban leader for denouncing the heinous incident in Pahalgam on April 22.

“His condemnation of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam is greatly appreciated,” Jaishankar wrote on X (previously Twitter). “Appreciated his strong opposition to recent efforts to sow discord between Afghanistan and India by spreading unfounded and misleading rumors.”

Significant Move By India:

A new chapter in the International political dynamics between India and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan is written by the conversation. The call is significant since it marks India’s first ministerial-level engagement with the Taliban government in decades.

The Taliban government in Afghanistan has not yet received official recognition from New Delhi. Days after Afghanistan denounced the Pahalgam terror assault, in which terrorists with ties to Pakistan killed 26 civilians, primarily tourists, Jaishankar made his call to Muttaqi.

First Call after 1999:
Since the Taliban took over Kabul in August 2021, the call marked the first time Indian and Afghan governments had spoken at a political level. Vikram Misri, the foreign secretary, met Muttaqi in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in January of this year.

The last time India and the Taliban interacted was in 1999–2000, following the December 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 to Kandahar, when then-External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh spoke with Afghanistan Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil.

In a media statement Taliban Ministry said, “The Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, Mawlavi Amir Khan Muttaqi, held a telephone conversation with the Minister of External Affairs of India, Mr Jaishankar.”

Take a look at the tweet:

د ا.ا.ا. د بهرنیو چارو وزیر محترم مولوي امیر خان متقي او د هند جمهوریت د بهرنیو چارو وزیر ښاغلي جې شنکر ټيلیفوني خبرې وکړې.
په دې مکالمه کې د دوو اړخیزو اړیکو پر پیاوړتیا، تجارت او د دیپلوماتیکو اړیکو د کچې پر لوړولو خبرې وشوې. pic.twitter.com/weErRrvARu

— Hafiz Zia Ahmad (@HafizZiaAhmad) May 15, 2025

More Visas for Afghans:

According to Hafiz Zia Ahmad, the Taliban’s head of communication, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi urged External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to issue more visas to Afghan nationals. Particularly those in need of medical treatment. In addition, Ahmad stated that the two discussed a range of issues, including bilateral trade, the development of Iran’s Chabahar Port, and the release and repatriation of Afghan prisoners currently held in Indian jails.

Also Read: Top 10 Countries with Most Powerful Nuclear Weapons

No recognition for Talibans:

No nation has legally recognized the Taliban government, which took control of Afghanistan in 2021. However, a few nations, such as China, Iran, and Russia, have developed diplomatic ties with the Taliban government, also referred to as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

Previously, only three nations legally recognized the Islamic Emirate during the Taliban’s earlier tenure (1996–2001): Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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