An Indian delegation visited Kabul and met Afghanistan’s interim Defence Minister, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob earlier this week to discuss expanded humanitarian aid and the use of Iran’s Chabahar Port for Afghan business activities.

The delegation was led by J P Singh, joint secretary of the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA),

During the visit on 4-5 November, Singh also held meetings with former Afghan President Hamid Karzai and senior ministers, underscoring India’s continued support for the Afghan people despite not officially recognising the Taliban regime.

“The Indian delegation visited Afghanistan on November 4th and 5th, meeting with the acting Defence Minister, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, as well as former President Hamid Karzai. Several meetings were held with various ministers and UN agencies,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated at a media briefing in New Delhi on Thursday.

The discussions centred on India’s ongoing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and the potential for Afghan businesses to utilise Chabahar Port for trade and exports, said Jaiswal. 

“Providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan is an important part of our assistance programme… We have longstanding ties with the people of Afghanistan, and these ties will continue to guide our approach towards the country,” he added.

This meeting marked Singh’s first interaction with Yaqoob, son of Taliban founder Mullah Omar.

Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry shared an image of the meeting on 6 November.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Karzai highlighted his discussion with Singh, expressing appreciation for India’s support to Afghanistan.

He called for greater focus on educational programmes for Afghan youth, bolstering trade relations, and facilitating travel between the two nations to strengthen the “historic ties” shared by both countries.