Technical and Economic Cooperation between India and the Taliban; Critics Warn.
Reports indicate that a group of Indian engineers is engaged in repairing and refurbishing Taliban military vehicles, helicopters, and aircraft at Kabul Airport. These assets were previously used to suppress the population and consolidate Taliban power, and these efforts have occurred alongside the strengthening of relations between the two sides in recent months.
This cooperation has intensified alongside diplomatic exchanges between the Taliban and India. Following the official visit of Amir Khan Muttaqi, acting Foreign Minister of the Taliban, to New Delhi, Nooruddin Azizi, Taliban Minister of Industry and Commerce, traveled to India for a five-day visit to discuss economic and trade cooperation with Indian officials. Indian media described the visit as an effort to convert recent positive political engagement into practical trade agreements.
Fawzia Koofi, former member of the Afghan Parliament, warned about the rapid normalization of relations between the Taliban and India, emphasizing that this trajectory could send a clear message about the disregard some foreign actors have for the rights of the Afghan people. She noted that Afghanistan has once again become a stage for regional power competition, and citizens should not be misled by biased narratives portraying a particular country as more loyal or trustworthy.
