In a move that has sent shockwaves through South Asian diplomacy, Pakistan summoned the Afghan ambassador on October 12, 2025, to lodge a vehement protest against a joint statement issued during Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s high-profile visit to India. The statement, which explicitly referenced Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of India, was decried by Islamabad as a “clear violation” of its territorial claims and international norms, igniting fears of renewed border skirmishes and strained trilateral ties.
The controversy erupted just a day after Muttaqi’s arrival in Delhi, marking the first senior-level visit by a Taliban official since their 2021 takeover. During meetings with Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, the two sides inked agreements on trade, connectivity, and counter-terrorism, with the joint communiqué hailing “peace and stability” in the region while underscoring India’s developmental role in Afghanistan. Muttaqi, speaking at the historic Darul Uloom Deoband seminary in Uttar Pradesh, expressed unbridled optimism, declaring the future of India-Afghanistan relations as “very bright” and poised for significant advancement. This warmth starkly contrasts with Pakistan’s ire, as the statement’s Kashmir mention was seen as Kabul tacitly endorsing New Delhi’s narrative on the disputed territory.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry wasted no time, summoning Ambassador Reda Nooristani to convey “strong reservations” and warning of repercussions for Afghan-Indian overtures that “disregard” Islamabad’s sensitivities. Sources indicate the protest also touched on allegations of Indian support for anti-Pakistan insurgents in Afghanistan, a longstanding grievance exacerbated by recent Taliban-confirmed border clashes that claimed 15 Pakistani soldiers. Muttaqi’s itinerary, which included a now-cancelled side trip to Agra’s Taj Mahal, was overshadowed by this diplomatic dust-up, highlighting the fragile balance Taliban leadership must navigate between historical allies India and Pakistan.
For India, this visit signals a pragmatic pivot toward engaging the Taliban regime, upgrading its Kabul mission to a full embassy and focusing on humanitarian aid amid Afghanistan’s economic woes. Experts view it as a strategic counter to China’s growing influence in Kabul and a bid to revive pre-2021 projects like the Chabahar port linkage. Muttaqi’s Deoband address, invoking shared Islamic heritage, resonated deeply, fostering goodwill among Indian Muslim scholars and underscoring cultural bridges that transcend politics.
Pakistan’s reaction, however, risks isolating it further. With Afghanistan rejecting Islamabad’s overtures—Muttaqi even declined a recent Pakistani invite post-Russia tour—this summoning could backfire, pushing Kabul closer to New Delhi. Analysts warn of heightened militancy along the Durand Line, where cross-border accusations fly freely. As regional forums like the SCO voice opposition to foreign bases in Afghanistan, India’s quiet diplomacy emerges as a stabilizing force.
This episode encapsulates the high-stakes chessboard of South Asia: alliances shift like desert sands, with Kashmir as the perennial flashpoint. For the Taliban, balancing economic lifelines from India against Pakistan’s security demands is a tightrope walk. As Muttaqi wraps up his tour, the world watches if this “bright future” can illuminate peace or merely cast longer shadows of conflict.
In the long term, sustained India-Afghan engagement could unlock trade corridors, benefiting landlocked Kabul and energy-hungry India. Yet, without addressing Pakistan’s concerns, the Durand Line may simmer anew. Diplomatic watchers urge multilateral talks, perhaps under UN auspices, to defuse the tinderbox. Until then, this summoning serves as a stark reminder: in geopolitics, words in a joint statement can summon more than envoys—they can summon storms.
