After Pahalgam, India Turns To Taliban | New Delhi’s Bold Diplomatic Move In Kabul

A week after the brutal Pahalgam terror attack, India is showcasing power on every front — militarily, diplomatically, and strategically. As BrahMos missiles roll out and INS Surat takes to sea, a quiet but powerful diplomatic shift is underway: India is talking to the Taliban. Led by special envoy Anand Prakash, a top Indian delegation landed in Kabul for high-level talks with Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership. On the surface, it was about trade and transit cooperation. But the message to Pakistan was unmistakable — New Delhi is recalibrating regional alliances, and Islamabad is being cornered. The backdrop? Explosive tensions on the Durand Line, where Pakistan accuses the Afghan Taliban of sheltering Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters. In turn, the Taliban has slammed Pakistan’s cross-border shelling. Once strategic allies, Afghanistan and Pakistan are now in a cold war. India is stepping into that vacuum — expanding cultural ties, enabling Indian companies to operate in Afghanistan, and even using cricket diplomacy to build people-to-people trust. As Kabul rethinks its loyalties, New Delhi is executing a quiet diplomatic checkmate — one that could reshape South Asia’s power matrix.