ISLAMABAD: The expanding economic ties between the Taliban-led Afghangovernment and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration have raisedserious concerns about the long-term sovereignty of Afghanistan’s naturalresources, with critics terming the development a calculated move toexploit the war-torn nation’s vulnerabilities.
Afghanistan’s Acting Minister for Industry and Commerce, Alhaj NooruddinAzizi, announced that the Kabul administration is ready to provide Indiancompanies special incentives, including five-year tax exemptions, tariffreductions, and allocation of land for new investments in multiple sectors.
The minister emphasised that Indian firms would receive priority treatment,particularly in mining, energy, and infrastructure projects, signalling asharp departure from the previous Western-backed government’s cautiousapproach towards New Delhi.
Observers fear the generous concessions, offered at a time when Afghanistanfaces acute financial distress and international isolation, could lead tolarge-scale transfer of mineral wealth and strategic assets to Indiancorporations without adequate returns for the Afghan people.
The development comes amid reports of growing back-channel engagementbetween New Delhi and the Taliban since 2023, despite India’s earlierstrong opposition to the group and its continued non-recognition of theIslamic Emirate.
Read Top Stories
Analysts in Pakistan view the emerging partnership as part of India’sbroader strategy to secure influence in Afghanistan and access to CentralAsian markets while sidelining traditional regional stakeholders.
The move has sparked criticism that the opportunistic arrangement risksturning Afghanistan into an economic appendage of India, further deepeningthe hardship of ordinary Afghans already grappling with poverty andunemployment.
Source:www.tolonews.com/business/afghanistan-ready-offer-indian-investors-special-facilities-azizi”>https://www.tolonews.com/business/afghanistan-ready-offer-indian-investors-special-facilities-azizi