NEW DELHI: India is learnt to have approved as a “special gesture” entry of 160 Afghan trucks carrying dry fruits and nuts through the Attari border with Pakistan, as bilateral ties with the Taliban develop rapidly even in the absence of a formal recognition for the regime in Kabul. According to sources, Pakistan held up clearance for a while on the Wagah side for the movement of the trucks before allowing some of them to unload at Attari on Friday.
India had decided to shut the Attari-Wagah border on April 23, following the Pahalgam terrorist attack that took place a day earlier. Pakistan has in the past allowed one-way trade between Afghanistan and India through that border, facilitating export of Afghan goods to India but not any reverse export from India to Afghanistan.
Expanding trade ties was one of the issues that external affairs minister S Jaishankar discussed with the Afghan acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in what was the first political engagement between India and the Taliban on May 15. Despite the hurdles created by transit issues in Pakistan, India remains the largest market for Afghan products in South Asia and annual trade stands at approximately $ 1 billion.
The one time in the recent past Pakistan did allow India to send goods to Afghanistan through the land border was in late 2021, after India proposed sending 50,000 tonnes of wheat as aid to the drought-affected country. The Taliban, who had just returned to Kabul, pushed Pakistan to not hold up clearance for the supply.
Muttaqi had called Jaishankar on Thursday ahead of his upcoming visit to Iran and China, a fact India attaches a lot of significance to. Both leaders had agreed to remain in touch and Jaishankar thanked Muttaqi for the solidarity Kabul expressed for India after the Pahalgam attack and for not buying into subsequent attempts by Pakistan authorities to sow discord between India and the Taliban, including through the claim that India fired missiles at Afghanistan. A source said this was significant “posturing” given the tense situation that followed India’s Operation Sindoor.
Since foreign secretary Vikram Misri met Muttaqi in Dubai earlier this year, India has been looking to resume work on its projects in Afghanistan and, while also considering more development cooperation projects for the people of Afghanistan. These efforts will likely be further expedited by India’s move to politically engage Kabul.
“We are also considering humanitarian assistance for the Afghan refugees expelled by Pakistan,’’ said a source, speaking on condition of anonymity. Formal recognition, however, will have to wait until the international community remains convinced that the Taliban dispensation is not serious about providing inclusive governance and removing restrictions on women.
“Since 2021, India has sent 50,000 tonnes of wheat, 350 tonnes of medicines, 40,000 litres of Malathion and 28 tonnes of earthquake relief material to Afghanistan. We have also provided 2000 online scholarships for Afghan students. This aid was appreciated by the Afghan side,’’ added the source.