In a strongly worded address delivered in Kabul on Wednesday, Muttaqi highlighted Afghanistan's longstanding patience with its neighbor, but accused Pakistan of repeatedly violating Afghan sovereignty. "We have always shown tolerance towards Pakistan, but they have continued to infringe on our territorial integrity through airstrikes along the border, closing trade routes, and harassing Afghan refugees under one pretext or another," he said.
He took a sharp dig at Pakistan's shifting allegations: "Yesterday, they claimed the TTP (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan) belongs to us; then it was the Baloch insurgency we were supposedly running; and now they say India is involved. When will these excuses end?"
Taliban's Clear Stance on Relations with India On ties with India, the Foreign Minister was forthright: "We have political, economic, and trade relations with India. We are a sovereign nation. We have every right to engage with all countries. No one can dictate to us."
Muttaqi described these as "legitimate political and economic relations of a sovereign state," directly questioning Pakistan's objections to Taliban leaders' visits to New Delhi.
This statement comes against the backdrop of rapidly warming India-Afghanistan relations. In October 2025, Muttaqi made a historic week-long visit to India – the highest-level Taliban engagement with New Delhi since 2021 – where he met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. The talks led to India's announcement to reopen its embassy in Kabul,
closed since the Taliban's takeover. High-level meetings, increased trade, and ongoing Indian humanitarian aid to Afghanistan have further strengthened these bonds in recent months. Pakistan has long alleged that India is using Afghan soil to sponsor terrorist activities against it – claims vehemently denied by both India and the Taliban. During his India trip, Muttaqi reiterated assurances that Afghan territory would not be used against any neighbor, including India, while condemning cross-border terrorism from "regional countries" – a veiled reference to Pakistan.
He also warned Pakistan against "testing the courage of Afghans" and urged it to follow Afghanistan's path in eliminating terror groups for regional peace.
Muttaqi further accused Pakistan of attempting to impose "mysterious projects" on Kabul, using economic coercion like border closures and political pressure to destabilize the Taliban administration. He noted Pakistan's history of disputes with nearly all its neighbors and rejected its "unrealistic and unacceptable" security demands.
The Taliban's firm stance signals that Kabul is no longer willing to bow to Islamabad's pressures. As India-Afghanistan ties deepen – potentially including enhanced economic cooperation and counter-terrorism assurances
– Pakistan's unease is likely to grow, reshaping the regional power dynamics in South Asia.
