Former Pakistani Envoy Warns Taliban Against Growing Ties with India

Asif Durrani, a former special envoy of Pakistan, has warned that the Taliban’s increasing alignment with India is part of New Delhi’s strategy to influence Pakistan through Afghan territory. He described this development as political suicide for the Taliban…

Accusations of Delhi’s Intrusion into Pakistan via Afghanistan

Durrani, who previously served as Pakistan’s special representative for Afghanistan, issued a message on social media expressing concerns regarding the Taliban’s foreign policy approach. He stated that this direction jeopardizes the survival of the current government in Kabul.

In his analysis, Durrani pointed out that the Taliban’s growing closeness to India aligns with New Delhi’s strategy to achieve its goals of influence in Pakistan by utilizing Afghan territory.

With a critical and blunt tone, he added: this emerging situation could pose a significant risk to the Taliban’s survival and urged the ruling group to avoid a path of political suicide.

Strengthening Ties Between Kabul and New Delhi Amidst Tensions with Islamabad

These remarks come in the wake of a noticeable increase in diplomatic and commercial interactions between the Taliban and India. Over the past month, Amir Khan Muttaqi (the Taliban Foreign Minister) and Nooruddin Azizi (the Minister of Industry and Commerce) have both made official visits to India. During this period, India reiterated its public support for Afghanistan’s stability by sending large shipments of medicine and medical equipment to Kabul.

At the same time, security and political tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan persist, including border skirmishes, disagreements over the Durand Line, and mutual accusations of supporting opposition groups, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Strategic Contradictions and the Risk of Regional Isolation

Durrani, by using the term political suicide, indirectly pointed out a strategic contradiction in Taliban policy. Analysts argue that in their bid for international legitimacy through New Delhi, the Taliban may inadvertently create space that heightens their strategic isolation in the region. This situation arises as Pakistan, their only major ally in recent years, continues to play a crucial role in controlling aid flows and external communications with Afghanistan.

This triangular competition (Afghanistan–Pakistan–India) has evolved from being merely a regional game into a tool for redefining power balances in South Asia; a situation that transforms the Taliban from being a primary actor into a means for achieving the competitive goals of other powers.