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Advances in Politics and Economics 
ISSN 2576-1382 (Print) ISSN 2576-1390 (Online) 

Vol. 5, No. 2, 2022 
www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/ape 

1 
 

Original Paper 

Taliban Rule in Afghanistan—Impact on India-Afghanistan 

Relations 

Aafreen Manzoor1* 
1Law Student, Central University of Kashmir, Department of Law, Ganderbal, India 

 

Received: January 12, 2022    Accepted: February 2, 2022    Online Published: February 16, 2022 

doi:10.22158/ape.v5n2p1         URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.22158/ape.v5n2p1 

 

Abstract 

This paper emphasizes on the Taliban rule with its impact on the relationship between India and 

Afghanistan. This paper is based on the empirical study already provided by the professed researchers. 

This paper tries to make an understanding to the general public with regard to the Taliban rule, its 

historical perspective and the steps taken by the Indian government for furtherance of the relationship 

between the two nations.  

The current study was based on pre articulated policies and programmes conducted for the 

understanding of the relationship between India and Afghanistan. Therefore, the study was entirely 

based on secondary data. The secondary data pertaining to the Taliban rule in Afghanistan with the 

impact on India- Afghanistan relations has been collected from various published books, journals, 

dissertations and Internet. The data was analysed and modified for deriving meaningful conclusion 

regarding the impact on India -Afghanistan relations due to the Taliban rule in Afghanistan. 

Keywords 

India, Afghanistan, Trade, Taliban, Relationship 

 

1. Introduction 

The term “Taliban” is emanated in Arabic. Its singular form, is Talib, which implies “seeker”, 

constructed the plural form Taliban, “the seekers.” In 1855, A Mutual Agreement Treaty commonly 

known for the Peshawar Treaty has been signed by Kabul and Indian Government. Earlier, after the 

downfall of Taliban’s administration, Indian officers toured Afghanistan in order to furnish an assertion 

that India will play a considerable part in the establishment of Afghanistan’s rehabilitation process. Due 

to the geographical proximity, India is maintaining good relations with Afghanistan. With the cultural 

linkage, India is obligated to provide the aid in the reconciliation process of Afghanistan. In Tokyo 

Meeting 2002, India approved to furnish support to Afghanistan. Afghanistan’s admission to SAARC 



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was sustained by India. India and Afghanistan had inked trade agreements to improve bilateral trade 

relations between the two countries. India has partaken in Afghanistan’s growth through various 

middles. Afghan’s peace process is one of the most crucial facets of India’s interest with Afghanistan. 

 

2. Historical Perspective of the Taliban Era 

In September 1996, Taliban occupied the control over Kabul and took satisfaction in 70% control over 

Afghanistan. In the next two years, other territories of Afghanistan were also achieved by the Taliban. It 

enjoyed the support from the Pushtun population. Taliban were not able to enjoy full sovereign powers 

over the non-pushtun population. In the end, it was the near special and political coalition between 

Taliban chief Mullah Mohammed Omar and the Islamist terrorist Osama bin Laden that gave rise to the 

six-year Taliban era to a very abrupt end in November 2001. In 2020, Taliban gained the control over 

the territory of Afghanistan ending the prolong war. Taliban’s intend to change the Afghanistan into the 

Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan (IEA). They extended their control over the civil and military 

administration in the country. Taliban were successful in adopting the Islamic principle of governing, 

the Islamic Khelafat. They attempted to establish a legal and judicial system based out of this notion. 

From this stand, the Taliban attempted to control Afghan society by implementing their rule as the legal 

government of the nation. Such an undertaking by the Taliban administrators made them muster their 

actions. 

 

3. India-Afghanistan Relations 

India has a cordial connection with Afghanistan. In 2015, Afghanistan attained the membership of 

World Trade Organization (WTO). Further, the relationship between two countries provides an ideal 

alliance for the bilateral relations. This alliance ensures stability and the prospective of it’s economic 

growth. India and Afghanistan share the historical and cultural linkage. Pertaining to the historical links 

and trades between the culture, both share a detrimental relationship. In October 2011, both the 

Countries signed the Strategic Partnership Agreement, which further enhanced its relationship. It 

provides for the rebuild of Afghanistan by providing infrastructural assistance, educational assistance, 

encouraging investment, and supporting the process of peace and reconciliation. Due to the historical 

linkages, India has been a trading partner of Afghanistan and is the largest market for its commodities 

in South Asia. Almost 1.5 Billion US$ has been the total bilateral trade between the two countries in the 

year 2019-2020.  

India is one of the financial aid granter of Afghanistan and holds an existential position in 

Afghanistan’s trade network. But the trade relationship of these two countries has received a threat 

back after the arrival of the Taliban in the war-ravaged region. Afghanistan assists as a crucial market 

for Indian products, like tea, cement, pharmaceutical commodities and other construction entities. In 

return, India provides a favorable market for Afghan products especially dry fruits. India has deeply 

engrossed in Afghanistan’s trade and due to this, India will infuse in it’s restoration system. India needs 



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an apparent perspective on the economic standpoints of both the countries. In order to achieve it’s 

economic, strategic and security objectives, India aids in the reconstruction process of Afghanistan. 

India pertains to a soft power strategy in it’s ties with Afghanistan due to multiple factors and 

explanations. India wants to attain access in energy rich Central Asian nations and seeks to represent 

itself as an influence over the region as a potential player. The circumstances in Afghanistan has been 

shifting on a day-to-day basis. Many countries are attempting to cope up with the nation and solidify 

their interests. India as competently has been trying to ponder it’s policy towards Afghanistan to secure 

their interests and by not losing it’s strategic gains it has achieved and contributed so far. India has to 

confront numerous challenges in it’s prospect towards Afghanistan in the near future.  

Sher Mohammed Abbas Stanekzai, Taliban leader stated, “We give due importance to our political, 

economic and trade ties with India and we want these ties to continue. We are looking forward to 

working with India in this regard.” He further said, “India is very important for this subcontinent. We 

want to continue our cultural, economic and trade ties with India like in the past.”This is the first time 

Taliban speaks on their relationship with India. For India, Afghanistan is the prominent partner in the 

neighborhood to bulge its power stature. Earlier, Manmohan Singh in his tenure as a Prime Minister 

stated, “India will always stand by the people of Afghanistan”. 

 

4. Post Taliban Effects 

Between 1996 and 2001, a defiance movement against the Taliban comprising regional warlords in 

Afghanistan was supported by India, Iran and Russia. In 2021, there is no such arrangement yet. S. 

Jaishankar, India’s External Affairs Minister on September 2020 exhibited India’s interest in extending 

it’s affairs towards the Taliban government established after the verge of the conflict. It is for the first 

time India has showed interest by participating in the Intra-Afghan peace talks via video call in Doha. 

This is the first time high rank officials of India share an event with Taliban. Around then, Indian 

officials began a chain of transmission with Taliban for the development of trade relations between 

them. India with some other nine countries will seize another interaction with the Taliban’s in the 

Moscow Talks. This is the second time when Indian High Officials will be interacting with Taliban’s. 

The objective of the summit will be outgrowth of the political crisis in Afghanistan.  

NSA AjitDoval has brought out three statements while chairing the Third Regional Security Dialogue 

in New Delhi: 

1) India wishes to continue as a significant and committed player in the future of Afghanistan. 

2) The reasonable remedy to the situation is the consensus of the Afghanistan’s extended neighborhood 

including Russia. 

3) The Afghan humanitarian crisis should be the out most outmost and further political disparities must 

be set aside. 

With the “normalization” of ties with the Taliban regime growing, New Delhi must now evaluate how 



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far it wishes to go in its engagement with Afghanistan. India and Afghanistan must adopt specific 

strategies that will expand the relationship between two distinct countries. Afghanistan has to enhance 

its market of nuts, fruits, spices and saffron in India. Special productive methods and strategic planning 

is obliged by both the nations. Taking in view the geographical advantage, Afghanistan must export 

more and should intensify and diversify its export with other nations as well. Political and diplomatic 

channels must be established between these two border sharing countries. The communion between 

two regions shapes the stability and confrontation crisis in Afghanistan. For the betterment of 

Afghanistan, extraneous environment must be constructive towards its transformation. India is ensuring 

steps for furthering its interests in Afghanistan. 

 

5. Women in Afghanistan 

Many women did not reside at their households, voiceless and terrified; they combated the distress the 

Taliban had plopped on their lives and contradicted their exclusion from community and the career 

pressure. Dr. Fariyal Ross-Sheriff illustrates in her research how Afghan women partook to the survival 

of their families. Women not only had to watch over for themselves, they also worried for their spouses 

and sons who were under the persistent threat of being strongly deployed by the Taliban as warriors. 

Women exploited a significant position in protecting their male kin from Taliban soldiers and many 

served all ways of chores in their spot of exile to assist their (extended) households. Women also 

bestowed on a decision-making point and strengthened connection with other family members and 

partners of the household to optimize survival achievements. Ross-Sheriff’s study indicates women 

were not entirely victims of Taliban rule but frequently splashed key-roles in the survival of their 

families. Author Gayle Lemmon demonstrates how women tried to procure a living under Taliban 

regimes. Staved off from functioning in the public realm, one woman, Kamila Sidiqqi, commenced a 

dressmaking business from within her house, that grew out into an employment that employed over a 

hundred local women from the neighborhood. The Taliban’s retrieval to authority in Afghanistan is a 

worrying indication for the rights of children, girls and women, as well as for their fortune. The UN has 

asserted that women’s rights will be a “red line” that the Taliban government must not traverse (20 

minutes, 2021). Every day, thousands of people strive to run out by air or through neighboring 

countries.  

 

6. The Status of the Taliban Administration: 

It is clear that the Taliban effectively controls Afghanistan. The retired government’s military 

opposition in the Panjshir valley was swiftly quelled. The Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISIL-K) 

rebellion has accumulated, but does not previously question the convincingness of the Taliban’s 

administration as a whole-just as the Ghani administration was still the regime of Afghanistan despite 

an ample further destabilising Taliban mutiny. The breakdown of the Afghan frugality, and soaring 

violation, are not however at such statuses as to symbolize the disintegrate of the Taliban government, 



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although it is yet early days. 

Contrary in the Namibia case, the UNSC has not expected non-recognition of the Taliban since it 

arrived to power, but to the opposite has envisaged a footpath to eventual recognition. On 30 August 

2021, the UNSC called on “all parties to seek an inclusive, negotiated political settlement, with the full, 

equal and meaningful participation of women, that responds to the desire of Afghans to sustain and 

build on Afghanistan’s gains over the last twenty years in adherence to the rule of law, and underlines 

that all parties must respect their obligations”. 

In principle, as the de facto government, the Taliban would be qualified to practice the 

counter-terrorism rights and obligations of the state of Afghanistan, encompassing to: ascertain and 

practice criminal jurisdiction, extradite or prosecute criminals, and punish convicted persons; 

suggestion or furnish common legal assistance, and request extradition from different governments; 

strengthen border protection; freeze and seize terrorist financing (as through Afghan government or 

private banks and the hawala sector); prevent and suppress terrorist acts through law enforcement 

(comprising cross-border data sharing and supplementary cooperation); suppress preparatory acts such 

as recruitment, training, foreign soldiers and the allowance of extensions to terrorists, and provocation. 

The Taliban would also be obliged to implement UNSC economic sanctions against documented 

individuals and beings from the Taliban itself (involving elder partners of its own government), 

al-Qaeda, and ISIL-K. In fulfilling its counter-terrorism commitments, a Taliban government must 

capitulate with its commitments under international human rights law and international humanitarian 

law. Indeed the UN Secretary-General has ordered for “adherence to the international commitments of 

Afghanistan, encompassing all international treaties to which it is a party”. Even as a de facto, 

unrecognized government, the Taliban is cared for as a state organ for the motive of the law of state 

responsibility. Thus, its administration is accountable for any violations of Afghanistan’s obligations, 

and has a responsibility to stop infringements and make reparation. As a prosperous insurgency, it is 

additionally responsible for its own preceding infringements as an insurgent organization, that is, 

before it became the regime. 

 

7. Conclusion 

India has a cordial relationship with Afghanistan due to its historical, cultural and geographical linkage. 

India is a super power nation and prefers to retain its position in the South Asia as such. Taliban 

amassed a downfall in 2001 and in 2020 retained its position back in Afghanistan. India holds a very 

important position for the reconciliation process of Afghanistan. India prefers to proceed with its 

relations with the new formed government under the Taliban Rule. In order to further its interest at the 

International level, India maintains to continue its support to the Afghan led government. 

 

 

 



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