The Taliban will not allow Afghan territory to be used against any country, said Amir Khan Muttaqi, Foreign Minister of the Taliban administration in Afghanistan.
Mr. Muttaqi, the first senior Taliban leader to be hosted by India, addressed the media at the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi, where he called for stronger bilateral trade through the Wagah border and Iran’s Chabahar port.
“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has proved in the past four years that its soil will not be used against others,” he said, adding that the Taliban had expelled Pakistan-based terror groups such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba.
He dismissed the need for joint anti-terror operations with India, asserting that “no international terrorists are surviving in Afghanistan today.” Muttaqi also denied reports of Pakistani airstrikes in Kabul and reiterated that the Taliban would not hand over the Bagram airbase to the U.S.
The Taliban minister urged India to enhance trade routes through Pakistan, stating that Wagah was “economically viable” for Afghans. He said trade between India and Afghanistan had already surpassed $1 billion in the past year, which could increase if sanctions affecting Chabahar were lifted.
The event drew criticism for being “all male” and for excluding women journalists. Responding to questions on women’s rights, Muttaqi claimed that their situation had “improved” and described global criticism as “international propaganda.”