Collapse of Taliban FM’s planned India visit lays Modi’s hypocrisy bare
New Delhi: Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s planned visit to India this month, a historic first since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, has collapsed, laying bare New Delhi’s duplicity and hypocrisy in its Afghanistan policy.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the visit required a waiver from the UN Security Council’s 1988 Sanctions Committee, as Muttaqi remains under a travel ban, asset freeze, and arms embargo. India quietly withdrew its own request for the waiver, reportedly fearing objections from Western members, but spun the narrative that Pakistan, as chair, had blocked it, a claim that highlights India’s duplicity.
Pakistan, which currently chairs the UN Sanctions Committee, did not object to the waiver. The reality, experts say, is that India preemptively backtracked on its request and then tried to shift the blame to Islamabad, turning its retreat into a false narrative of victimhood.
This incident follows another setback last month for Afghanistan when Muttaqi’s planned visit to Pakistan was blocked due to US opposition. Analysts note a stark contrast: Pakistan stood stood its ground, while India folded before the diplomatic process even began and then tried to pin its failure on others.
Behind the scenes, India has been desperately trying to woo the Taliban. Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and Muttaqi have already spoken twice this year, most recently on September 1. India also rushed earthquake relief to Afghanistan, projecting benevolence while concealing its real motives, primarily a fear of China’s growing influence in Kabul and the wider region.
India has sought to play both sides: publicly projecting to the West that it avoids engagement with the Taliban, while secretly assuring Kabul of its desire for “pragmatic ties” and a place at the table.
This two-faced policy has now been exposed. By withdrawing its own waiver request and then falsely blaming Pakistan, India has shown a lack of courage to stand by its own diplomatic commitments.
India continues to claim the status of a “regional power,” but when it comes to Afghanistan, it hides behind UN technicalities, Western approval, and fabricated excuses. The collapse of Muttaqi’s visit proves that India cannot act independently, honor its commitments, or maintain credibility without resorting to falsehoods to mask its weakness.
In contrast, Pakistan has quietly demonstrated its principled stance, revealing the fragility of India’s position and exposing New Delhi’s duplicity and hypocrisy before the world.
