NEW-DEHLI : Afghan Taliban regime’s Minister of Agriculture, Maulvi Attaullah, has stirred controversy with his remarks during an official visit to India, stating that “Afghanistan and India share the same DNA” and that he felt as if he were in his own country rather than a foreign land .
According to the Indian newspaper The Economic Times, Attaullah made these comments in New Delhi, expressing warmth over his reception by Indian officials . The Afghan minister’s statement has drawn significant reactions from political and diplomatic circles. Analysts view it as a reflection of the steadily growing relations between the Taliban regime and India .
Meanwhile, experts in Pakistan have expressed reservations, linking the development to the context of cross-border terrorism. Pakistani defence officials have repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban of facilitating militant groups like the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and acting as a “proxy for India” against Pakistani interests . The Foreign Office has previously conveyed strong reservations over elements of India-Afghanistan joint statements, warning that such engagements undermine regional peace efforts . This visit and the minister’s comments are seen as part of a broader strategic realignment, with India reportedly seeking to expand its influence in Afghanistan, further straining Islamabad’s ties with Kabul
