Editorial 2: ​​The next steps for Afghanistan after the New Delhi visit

Context

India must pursue a calibrated, step-by-step engagement with Afghanistan while showcasing its image as a credible and compassionate humanitarian actor.

Introduction

The visit of Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi may have generated brief excitement in the media, but the real task begins now. What is required is a carefully phased engagement aimed at stabilising a war-torn nation, while simultaneously allowing New Delhi to reinforce its credentials as a humanitarian and responsible regional power.

• In an era marked by rampant conflict and militarised rhetoric, such humanitarian leadership carries genuine value.
• Moreover, India’s outreach need not come at the expense of its security interests or be viewed as a zero-sum rivalry with Pakistan.
• On the contrary, a stable Afghanistan could contribute to regional stability, including within Pakistan, provided that Islamabad chooses to embrace this shared opportunity for peace.

Security Dynamics and Ground Realities

• The India–Afghanistan joint statement angered Islamabad, as it reaffirmed the Taliban’s condemnation of the Pahalgam attack (April 2025) and reiterated Kabul’s pledge not to allow its soil to be used against India.
• The UN Sanctions Monitoring Committee noted that while the Taliban acted against IS-K, their capacity remains limited due to Mullah Haibatullah’s control from Kandahar and the fragmented administration.
• The report added that TTP leader Noor Wali Mehsud received funding from the Taliban, yet Kabul hesitated to act, fearing a tilt toward IS-K.
• Pakistan’s accusations that the Taliban harbour the TTP are therefore propaganda, designed to project India-Afghan cooperation as a threat.
• The Taliban, though far from ideal, are not the extremist puppets Pakistan portrays — a reality India must assess with nuance.

India’s Strategic Openings for Stability

• India’s role lies in supporting on-ground stability, not mere rhetoric.
• Integrate the Taliban’s drug-eradication drive with crop-substitution programmes, ensuring farmer income security and export linkages.
• Launch a Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) training mission to counter meth-lab expansion and strengthen anti-drug enforcement.
• Support basic infrastructure — notably Kabul’s water security, as the city may run dry by 2030.
• Reiterate the Shahtoot Dam offer on the Kabul River, turning potential India–Pakistan hydro tensions into regional cooperation through a shared Indus-basin framework.

• In essence, India’s engagement should combine humanitarian leadership with strategic foresight, transforming Afghanistan’s fragility into an opportunity for regional peace and pragmatic cooperation.

Empowering Afghanistan through Education and Skill Development

• The issue of women’s education remains paramount in Afghanistan’s rebuilding process.
• Reformist leaders like Abdul Baqi Haqqani, who once supported women’s education, were swiftly replaced by hardliners such as Mawlawi Habibullah Agha, reflecting the Taliban’s regressive stance.
• Changing this discriminatory policy is vital — not only to reframe the Taliban’s image internationally but also to strengthen India’s humanitarian outreach.
• India’s current initiative of 1,000 e-scholarships through the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) is insufficient given the scale of the crisis.
• The online education model should be expanded to major Afghan institutions, with special foreign exchange relaxations to enable seamless access.
• This academic outreach can align with India’s investment focus areas, especially mining and infrastructure, by building local skill capacity.
• Creating trained Afghan professionals will ensure minimal dependence on foreign personnel and generate employment within Afghanistan — contributing to both economic stability and social inclusion.

The Goal of a Stable Afghanistan

• Achieving a stable and friendly Afghanistan must remain a long-term strategic objective for India.
• While the ‘whole-of-government’ approach is often cited, it rarely operates effectively in practice.
• The National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) should be empowered and coordinated so that all ministries — finance, water, power, and foreign affairs — work in unison toward a unified Afghan policy.
• This effort must be institutionalised so that it outlives political transitions, maintaining the core strategic principle of “selection and maintenance of aim.”
• The goal: ensure India’s relevance and credibility in Afghanistan remain enduring, not subject to shifting priorities.

The Pakistan Factor and Regional Realities

• A major obstacle to Afghan stability is the Pakistan Army’s resistance to a genuinely independent Taliban regime, stemming from its urge to dominate Kabul’s politics.
• In contrast, ordinary Pakistanis, especially Pashtuns, share cross-border ethnic, family, and trade ties, giving them an interest in a peaceful Afghanistan.
• Potential bilateral trade and transit revenues could reach $10 billion, but these opportunities remain unrealised as long as Pakistan remains a security-driven state.
• For genuine stability, the international community must push for systemic change within Pakistan, encouraging democratic accountability over military dominance.
• As history shows, democracy is not an idealistic aspiration — it works, almost every time.

• In essence, India’s Afghan strategy must move from reactive diplomacy to institutional coordination and regional reform advocacy, ensuring that a peaceful, democratic Afghanistan becomes the anchor of South Asian stability.

Conclusion

India’s engagement with Afghanistan must blend strategic consistency with humanitarian vision. A stable Afghanistan is central to South Asian peace, economic connectivity, and regional security. By aligning education, infrastructure, and counter-narcotics efforts under a whole-of-government framework, New Delhi can project itself as a principled and pragmatic power, ensuring its long-term relevance in shaping a democratic and peaceful neighbourhood.