For the first time, an Indian official holds talks with the Taliban defense minister – Times of India

NEW DELHI: In a major development in ties with Afghanistan, India held its first meeting with Taliban acting defense minister on Wednesday Mohammed Yaqub Mujahidwho is also the son of Mullah Omar, the group’s former supreme leader and emir of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.
The meeting between Yaqub and MEA Secretary JP Singh, who handles Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran, took place in Kabul on Wednesday as India looks to step up engagement in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the name under which the Taliban have ruled the country. since the takeover of Kabul in 2021.
The Indian official also met Taliban acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and former Afghan President Hamid Karzai during his second visit to Kabul this year. “During this meeting, the two sides emphasized their common desire to expand bilateral relations, especially in the field of humanitarian cooperation and other issues, and expressed their interest in strengthening further interactions between Afghanistan and India,” the Taliban Defense Ministry said.
According to an Afghan official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the meeting is a sign that India is ready to not only increase its humanitarian assistance to the country but also assist in reconstruction efforts even without officially recognizing the regime. Kabul. Repeated assurances by the Taliban, including during the ongoing visit, that they will not allow the use of Afghan territory against India appear to have convinced India that this may be the right time to deepen engagement in Kabul.
Yaqub has in the past expressed hope for stronger ties with India, which would also lead to cooperation in the defense sector. The Taliban have pressured India to allow the appointment of a diplomat from the Taliban Foreign Ministry to the Afghan embassy in New Delhi, saying India-Afghanistan ties are important for both countries and people. Ironically, the Taliban’s relationship with Pakistan has turned increasingly south due to disagreements over the activities of the Pakistani Taliban.