Marked by controversy, Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s ongoing visit to India was meant to signal a major reset in ties between New Delhi and the Taliban . The visit was his first since the Taliban grabbed power in 2021 , as was his meeting with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. It was made possible by the UN Security Council’s Sanctions committee that waived the travel ban on Mr. Muttaqi, who is on the list of sanctioned terrorists since 2001. New Delhi has strategic reasons for the warm welcome and enhanced relationship. Close ties neutralise the considerable security risk and terror threat from India’s western flank, and protect India’s personnel and considerable investment in projects there. The deterioration

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