Taliban Seeked Former COAS’s Consent Before India’s Diplomatic Return to Kabul

In his latest book, “The Return of the Taliban,” author Hassan Abbas claimed that Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with Pakistan’s former army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, before urging India to send its diplomats and technical staff back to Kabul.

The book, set to be published this week in the United States, explores the struggles of Afghanistan’s de facto rulers as they attempt to reconcile their rigid ideology with the pressures of transition.

According to Abbas, Pakistan’s facilitation of India’s return to Kabul was motivated by the desire to open the door to aid for the Taliban in Afghanistan. Both Pakistan and the Taliban are in dire need of financial support to govern the country. The book highlights India’s strategic interests in Afghanistan and its current efforts to engage with the Taliban and help stabilize the nation.

The Taliban aim to gain international legitimacy and recognition, with India offering massive external investments that can aid in the reconstruction and revitalization of Afghanistan.

The book also sheds light on the increasing influence of ISIS in Afghanistan, with the group claiming responsibility for 262 attacks between August 2021 and August 2022.

The growing threat of ISIS was an important topic during a meeting between ISI Director Lt. Gen. Nadeem Anjum and CIA Director William Burns in early May 2022. The book concludes that the Afghan Taliban no longer represents a primary threat to the national security of the United States and Afghanistan’s neighbors – the primary threat is now ISIS.

In addition, the book discusses China’s interest in maintaining relations with the Taliban regime, with China keeping its embassy open and supporting the Taliban’s new status while calling for the United Nations Security Council to unfreeze Afghanistan’s funds.