New Delhi: In a significant move following the first formal political contact between India and the Taliban, India has granted special permission for 160 Afghan trucks carrying dry fruits and nuts to enter through the Attari border crossing with Pakistan. This gesture comes just a day after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held a phone conversation with acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on May 15—marking their first direct engagement since the Taliban took over Kabul.
Despite not having officially recognized the Taliban regime, India facilitated this one-time access in what officials described as a goodwill gesture. According to sources, the trucks faced initial delays on the Pakistani side at the Wagah crossing, but some were allowed to unload at Attari on Friday.
India had closed the Attari-Wagah border on April 23 following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam the previous day. Historically, Pakistan has allowed only one-way trade—Afghan exports to India—via this land route, while blocking reverse trade.
The Jaishankar-Muttaqi conversation is being seen as a step toward re-engagement. India remains Afghanistan’s largest trading partner in South Asia, with bilateral trade valued at around $1 billion annually. Despite ongoing transit challenges posed by Pakistan, Afghan goods continue to find a significant market in India.
The only recent instance of India sending goods overland to Afghanistan was in late 2021, when New Delhi shipped 50,000 tonnes of wheat as humanitarian aid. That move was made possible after the Taliban government urged Pakistan not to obstruct the shipment amid severe food shortages in Afghanistan.
Sources revealed that Muttaqi called Jaishankar ahead of his scheduled visits to Iran and China—an outreach New Delhi views as diplomatically meaningful. During the call, both leaders agreed to remain in touch. Jaishankar also thanked the Afghan side for expressing solidarity after the Pahalgam attack and for dismissing Pakistani efforts to create rifts by alleging Indian missile attacks on Afghan territory. Officials described this as a key moment of “posturing” amid heightened regional tensions following Operation Sindoor.
Since Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s meeting with Muttaqi in Dubai earlier this year, India has been exploring ways to resume stalled development projects in Afghanistan and identify new areas for cooperation. These discussions are expected to gain momentum with this renewed political contact.
“We are also considering humanitarian assistance for Afghan refugees recently expelled by Pakistan,” a senior government source said, underlining India’s continued interest in supporting the Afghan people.
However, formal recognition of the Taliban government remains off the table for now. “The international community does not yet believe the Taliban is serious about inclusive governance or removing restrictions on women,” the source noted.
Since 2021, India has provided substantial humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, including 50,000 tonnes of wheat, 350 tonnes of medicines, 40,000 litres of Malathion (a pesticide), and 28 tonnes of earthquake relief supplies. India has also offered 2,000 online scholarships to Afghan students—efforts that have been well received by the Afghan authorities.
