ISLAMABAD: In a significant diplomatic development that has raised eyebrowsacross South Asia, Afghanistan’s Taliban administration has appointed MuftiNoor Ahmad Noor as charge d’affaires to lead its embassy in New Delhi,marking the first such senior posting since the group seized power inAugust 2021. This step, following high-level engagements including a visitby Taliban Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to India in October2025, underscores a pragmatic shift in bilateral relations despite India’scontinued non-recognition of the Taliban regime. The appointment comes at atime when regional dynamics are tense, with recent border clashes anddeteriorating ties between Kabul and Islamabad potentially influencing NewDelhi’s strategic calculations.
The decision traces back to Muttaqi’s week-long visit to India lastOctober, during which discussions with External Affairs Minister SJaishankar paved the way for upgrading India’s technical mission in Kabulto full embassy status and allowing Taliban-appointed diplomats in Delhi.Noor, a senior official from the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs andformer Director General of its First Political Division, arrived in theIndian capital earlier this month and has already engaged with Indianofficials, including Joint Secretary Anand Prakash. These meetings focusedon political and economic cooperation, trade expansion, visa facilitation,and addressing concerns of Afghan traders, students, and residents in India.
India’s approach reflects a careful balancing act in regional geopolitics,where New Delhi has provided substantial humanitarian aid to Afghanistansince 2021, including wheat, medicines, and support through Chabahar Portto bypass Pakistani territory. While formal recognition remains withhelddue to concerns over governance and human rights, the engagement aims tocounterbalance influence from other powers and secure interests inconnectivity, security, and development. Analysts note that this outreachintensified as Afghanistan-India ties improved through exchanges,contrasting sharply with Kabul’s strained relations with Islamabad, markedby border incidents and accusations of harboring militants.
Noor’s role assumes particular importance amid the Taliban’s broadercampaign to assert control over Afghanistan’s overseas missions and gaininternational legitimacy. Only Russia has formally recognized the Talibangovernment, while most nations, including India, maintain diplomaticcaution. Previous attempts by the Taliban to install envoys in Delhi, suchas in 2023, faced resistance from staff loyal to the former republic, butrecent consolidations in consulates like Mumbai and Hyderabad have smoothedthe path. The Afghan embassy in Delhi has assured continuity for existingstaff and retained the former republic’s flag for now, though changes mayfollow formal takeover.
The timing of this appointment coincides with heightened regionalfrictions, including a brief but deadly India-Pakistan clash in May 2025and ongoing border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Kabul hasincreasingly sought alternatives to reliance on Islamabad for trade andtransit, turning toward India for pharmaceuticals, education, andinfrastructure support. Afghan officials have publicly described relationswith Pakistan as “deteriorated,” while praising India as a reliablepartner. This realignment could reshape South Asian alliances, with Indiapositioning itself to exploit divisions and promote stability througheconomic levers.
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Despite ideological differences—the Taliban’s strict Islamic governancecontrasting with India’s secular framework—the engagement highlightspragmatic diplomacy. India’s investments in Afghan development, from damsto roads during the pre-2021 era, and continued aid post-takeoverdemonstrate long-term commitment. The embassy in Kabul is expected toenhance humanitarian efforts, capacity-building, and trade initiatives,potentially including more flights and mining opportunities. For theTaliban, diplomatic footholds abroad bolster claims to sovereignty and openchannels for economic relief amid isolation.
This development raises questions about future trajectories in a volatileregion. Will deeper India-Afghanistan ties translate into tangible securitygains or merely symbolic gestures? As Noor settles into his role andbilateral talks progress, the move may encourage other nations torecalibrate their stance toward Kabul, influencing broader stability inSouth Asia.
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