Growing ties with India do not mean strained relations with Pakistan - Afghanistan

The Afghan embassy in New Delhi says Afghanistan and India have agreed to strengthen political and economic cooperation as Pakistan expresses concern over both countries' growing ties.

In a statement shared on X, the embassy said its chargé d’affaires, Mufti Noor Ahmad Noor, met Anand Prakash, Director General of the Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan Division at India’s Ministry of External Affairs, to discuss a range of bilateral issues.

The embassy said the talks focused on political and economic relations, expanding trade, easing visa processes and addressing problems faced by Afghan traders, students and nationals living in India.

Summarising the meeting, the embassy said, “Both sides emphasised the importance of strengthening Afghanistan–India relations and expanding bilateral cooperation and engagement.”

It added that the discussions covered “the expansion of trade, facilitation of visa processes, and issues faced by Afghan traders, students, and Afghan nationals residing in India”.

Growing Afghanistan–India ties have recently drawn attention in Islamabad, where Pakistan’s Minister of Information Attaullah Tarar voiced concern over the pace of contacts between Kabul and New Delhi.

Speaking at a press conference, Tarar questioned the nature of the relationship, saying, “What kind of collaboration exists between Afghanistan and India that requires such extensive consultations?”

He went further, adding, “The Afghan government visits India every other day and holds talks with New Delhi. What are these discussions about? Is there a specific trade relationship underway? What areas of bilateral cooperation exist that require such frequent consultations? Day by day, the true nature of this relationship is becoming more evident.”

The debate comes against the backdrop of Pakistan’s repeated efforts to narrow the focus of its differences with Kabul.

Last week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Islamabad’s concerns with Afghanistan are centred on security rather than politics.

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Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan had no bilateral disputes with Afghanistan, adding that once the terrorism issue is addressed, there is “tremendous potential” for cooperation in trade, connectivity and regional integration.

While Kabul has not issued a formal statement in response to the minister’s latest remarks, a senior official at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Shafi Azam, told AnewZ that the country seeks good relations with everyone.

He said, “We want good relations with everyone, with all of our neighbors. Good relations with one country should not be translated into strained relations with another country.”

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