AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has publicly welcomed the visit of Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to India, calling it a crucial step for regional diplomacy and advocating for upgraded relations between Delhi and Kabul.
In an interview with ANI, Owaisi said he “welcomed it” and asserted India should establish a full diplomatic relationship with Afghanistan, upgrading its current mission in Kabul to embassy status. He emphasized that India’s presence in Afghanistan is “crucial for the country’s security and geopolitical interests,” especially in the evolving regional context.
He also recalled that, as early as 2016, he had urged dialogue with the Taliban, an idea he says was then met with criticism. “I stood in Parliament in 2016 and said that the Taliban would come,” he said, adding that many media voices and political opponents had attacked him for promoting engagement.
Owaisi further flagged the strategic importance of Chabahar Port in Iran as a pathway to connect with Afghanistan, questioning how friendlier influence in Kabul could be left to other regional players like China or Pakistan. He also pointed to tensions in the region, noting the Pakistani Air Force had conducted bombings in Afghanistan, and posed the rhetorical question: “Do you see how it’s going? We should establish a full diplomatic relationship.”
