India allowed 160 buses from Afghanistan carrying dry fruits and nuts to enter through the Attari border in Punjab. This move came as a special gesture. It happened just a day after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke with Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. This was the first diplomatic talk between the two countries recently.

Pakistan Initially Blocks Trucks

However, Pakistan first blocked the Afghan trucks from crossing the border. Later, Pakistani authorities allowed some trucks to unload goods at Attari. Sources told the Times of India about this development. Still, India does not officially recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

Border Closure After Terror Attack

India closed the Attari-Wagah border on April 23. This followed a terrorist attack in Pahalgam the previous day. In the past, Pakistan allowed one-way trade at this border. Afghan goods could enter India, but Indian goods could not go to Afghanistan. In 2021, Pakistan briefly opened the border for Indian trucks carrying wheat to Afghanistan. This helped during a famine crisis.

Jaishankar’s Talk With Muttaqi

Earlier this week, Jaishankar said he had a “good conversation” with acting Foreign Minister Muttaqi. They discussed India’s “traditional friendship” with Afghanistan. Moreover, they explored ways to improve cooperation.

Jaishankar praised Muttaqi for condemning the Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 people. He also welcomed Muttaqi’s “firm rejection” of false reports trying to create distrust between the two countries. Jaishankar said, “Underlined our traditional friendship with the Afghan people and continued support for their development needs. Discussed ways and means of taking cooperation forward.”

Taliban Denies Pakistan’s Claims

Meanwhile, Muttaqi strongly denied Pakistan’s claims that India launched missile attacks on Afghanistan. These claims came from some Pakistani media reports accusing India of hiring the Taliban for a “false flag” operation linked to the Pahalgam attack.

During the phone call, the Taliban condemned the Pahalgam attack. They also rejected Pakistan’s accusations of Indian missile strikes on Afghan soil, sources said.