Indian officials meet Taliban leaders, offer use of Chabahar

In a significant move, an Indian delegation met Afghanistan’s acting Prime Minister Mohammad Hasan Akhund and acting defence minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob and offered the use of Chabahar Port in Iran to businesses in their country. It also discussed extending humanitarian assistance to Kabul.

The delegation, which visited Kabul on November 4 and 5, was led by JP Singh, Joint Secretary of the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

During a weekly media briefing here, MEA spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said the delegation also met former president Hamid Karzai and other senior ministers, along with heads of UN agencies. “They had discussions on India’s humanitarian assistance and also on how Chabahar Port can be utilised by the business community in Afghanistan for transactions and for export and import and any other thing that they would like to do,” Jaiswal said in response to a question.

India does not recognise the Taliban regime that has been ruling Afghanistan since 2021. India has been providing humanitarian aid, including wheat, medicines and medical supplies, to the Afghan people from time to time.

“I also want to recall here that providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan is an important part of our assistance programme. In the past few years, we have dispatched several shipments of humanitarian assistance. We have longstanding ties with the people of Afghanistan, and these ties will continue to guide our approach towards the country,” Jaiswal said.

Earlier this year, India signed a 10-year contract with Iran to develop and operate Chabahar Port, which was built with its assistance. — TNS/PTI

Humanitarian aid for Afghanistan

• India does not recognise the Taliban regime that has been ruling Afghanistan since 2021
• It has, however, been providing aid, including wheat and medicines, to the Afghan people