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Taliban health minister lands in India, is third leader to visit in 3 months
The visits by the Taliban functionaries to India came against the backdrop of escalating Afghanistan-Pakistan tensions
Taliban health minister Noor Jalal Jalali arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday for a visit aimed at bolstering cooperation in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, becoming the third Taliban leader to travel to India in three months.
Jalali was received on his arrival by joint secretary Anand Prakash, the external affairs ministry official overseeing the division handling Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.
“The visit reflects India’s enduring support for Afghanistan’s healthcare system, and we look forward to productive discussions,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on social media.
Jalali will meet his Indian counterpart and representatives of the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors to bolster and revive cooperation, people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity.
“The discussions with the Taliban minister will focus on strengthening cooperation in health and reviving the old connections that existed between the two sides under the previous government in Kabul,” one of the people said.
Jalali is the third senior Taliban leader to visit India, the others being foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in October and industry and commerce minister Nooruddin Azizi in November.
Following Muttaqi’s visit, India upgraded its technical mission in Kabul to a full-fledged embassy. India also agreed to allow the Taliban to send some of its diplomats to the mission in New Delhi.
A delegation led by Azizi visited the India International Trade Fair (IITF) as part of efforts to advance bilateral trade and investment ties. Azizi also interacted with Afghan traders in India to discuss market access and expansion prospects.
The visits by the Taliban functionaries to India came against the backdrop of escalating Afghanistan-Pakistan tensions, including border closures by Islamabad that have disrupted exports. These measures have prompted the Taliban to look at expanding cooperation with India in key sectors such as trade and healthcare, the people said.
Before the fall of the Ashraf Ghani government in August 2021, India issued thousands of visas to Afghan nationals every year for medical treatment. Many of them travelled to New Delhi and other cities in northern India for treatment.
The Taliban regime is also seeking Indian investments in key sectors, including mining, hydroelectric projects, and health. It is also keen for India to resume development projects in Afghanistan in areas such as healthcare and power generation, the people said. India has assisted the leading hospitals in Kabul with equipment and medical supplies and helped set up healthcare centres across the country.
