ISKP’s propaganda magazine Voice of Khorasan published a picture of an Indian diplomat alongside the Taliban’s Defense Minister, repudiating the Taliban for collaborating with non-Muslims. The Taliban and ISKP have been at each other’s throats this year, with the former claiming that ISKP fighters have now found shelter in Pakistan. The picture published by ISKP is a sign that India’s efforts to thaw relations are hurting both ISKP and Pakistan.
The magazine
ISKP magazine that was published a few days ago was a rant-a-thon criticizing everyone from Iran and the Taliban to India. In an article on sectarian violence in the Kurram district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, ISKP demanded that those who support ISKP’s cause must wage a war against Shias in the conflict. Parachinar, in Kurram, witnessed one of the worst terrorist attacks in the last few years. At least 40 people were killed and about 100 or more injured, including women and small children. Whilst the residents of Parachinar were mourning their loss, some, like the Ex-Inspector General of Pakistan Police, came out to claim that the Pakistan Army and its agencies were involved.”
ISIS-Khorasan has published a picture of Trump alongside Imran Khan and Mohammed bin Salman in its magazine, declaring them unfit to rule as they do not fit the bill according to ISKP’s skewed view of the world.
Of course, the Indian diplomat JP Singh’s picture with the Taliban Defense Minister was the most interesting picture in the magazine. Ostensibly, the article condemned the Taliban’s friendship with Hindus, labeling it a form of blasphemy. This comes at a time when India is forging its bonds with the Taliban to gain the latter’s support for the Chabahar port in Iran.
India-Taliban Bonhomie
A few days ago, a report by the Taliban-controlled Bakhtar News Agency claimed that the Taliban has appointed Ikramuddin Kamil, a post-doctoral student of international law from New Delhi’s South Asia University, as its envoy in Mumbai. Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the Taliban’s deputy foreign minister for political affairs, also posted on X about Kamil’s appointment to the consulate in Mumbai. The news created pandemonium, as just a few weeks ago, a senior official from India’s Foreign Ministry visited Afghanistan. J.P. Singh, the head of India’s diplomatic division for Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran (PAI), met Afghanistan’s “acting defense minister” Mullah Muhammad Yaqoob. The fact that Mullah Muhammad Yaqoob is the son of the Taliban’s late founder, Mullah Muhammad Omar, adds to the woes of ISKP and Pakistan.
India’s relations with the Taliban’s late founder Mullah Muhammad Omar were not “great,” a fact known to all. The Kandahar hijacking involving IC-814 is a painful reminder of this. The Pakistan Army, which was instrumental in the creation of the Taliban, bemoaned the news of India and the Taliban getting closer, and the reason is obvious.
As if to assuage the pain endured by the Pakistan Army, India released an official statement claiming the talks held with the Taliban had focused on “India’s humanitarian assistance that we are providing to people in Afghanistan” and the ways “the business community in Afghanistan” could use Iran’s Chabahar port for international trade.
Chabahar Port is of great importance in the “International North–South Transport Corridor” that joins Russia, Iran, and India.
Whilst many were skeptical about the Indian official’s meeting with the Taliban, Chinese officials and businesses have been doing the same without others raising an eyebrow. China is heavily invested in the mines in Afghanistan and, ergo, it too, like India, doesn’t officially recognize the Taliban but continues to pump a lot of money into myriad businesses in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, India’s relations with the Taliban have been growing steadily. In June 2022, India sent a “technical team” to Kabul to coordinate the delivery of humanitarian assistance. In January this year, India participated in the Regional Cooperation Initiative meeting convened by the Taliban in Kabul. The meeting was attended by representatives from other countries, including China, Russia, Pakistan, and Iran.
Taliban’s Nemesis: ISKP
ISKP carried out a deadly attack in Afghanistan in September that killed six people. Earlier in March, 21 people were killed in a suicide bombing in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar. Most of those killed were Taliban men. Adding to the Taliban’s woes are the sporadic small attacks that ISKP keeps carrying out every now and then against Taliban forces.
This forced the Taliban’s spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, to come out with a statement: “The leaders and members of Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) had relocated to Pakistan’s Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, allegedly with the help of ‘certain intelligence agencies.’” The spokesman also confirmed that these locations serve as training and educational facilities for ISKP with the help of ISI, the “certain agency.” Pakistan denies any involvement.
ISKP’s use of the Indian diplomat’s picture in its magazine is not new. Indian officials have faced this before too. But this time, it’s certain that it’s not just ISKP that is irked by India-Taliban bonhomie, but the Pakistan Army too.
By Levina
Author is an analyst of strategic affairs and defence. She has expertise in content creation on many subjects.
