Taliban appoint envoy at Afghan embassy in Indian capital
Noor Ahmad Noor assumes responsibility as charge d’affaires: Move shows deepening engagement between Delhi and Kabul
Afghanistan's Taliban government has appointed their first senior official in India since the group returned to power in 2021, charged with leading their embassy in Delhi.
India has not officially recognised the Taliban government, but the move signals a deepening engagement, with New Delhi seeking to exploit divisions between Islamabad and Kabul.
Mufti Noor Ahmad Noor, a Taliban foreign ministry official, assumed responsibility as charge d'affaires, and has already held meetings with Indian officials, the embassy said in a statement.
"Both sides emphasised the importance of strengthening Afghanistan-India relations," the Afghan Embassy said, in a post on X late Monday.
India has not commented, but the Afghan embassy posted a photograph of Noor with senior Indian foreign ministry official Anand Prakash.
The Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in New Delhi, H.E. Mufti Noor Ahmad Noor, met with Mr. Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary of the Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran (PAI) Division at the Ministry of External Affairs of India.
— AFG Embassy INDIA (@AFGEmbassyINDIA) January 12, 2026
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The Taliban's strict interpretation of Islamic law may appear an unlikely match for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government, but India has sought to seize the opening.
Nuclear-armed rivals Pakistan and India fought a brief but deadly clash in May 2025, their worst confrontation in decades.
The appointment is significant for the Taliban, which has sought to reclaim control over Afghanistan's overseas diplomatic missions as part of a broader push for international legitimacy.
In October, India said it would upgrade its technical mission in Afghanistan to a full embassy.
During the meeting, detailed discussions were held on bilateral political and economic relations, the expansion of trade, facilitation of visa processes, and issues faced by Afghan traders, students, and Afghan nationals residing in India.
— AFG Embassy INDIA (@AFGEmbassyINDIA) January 12, 2026
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Russia is the only country to officially recognise the Afghan Taliban government.
According to Tolo News, a source from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has confirmed that Noor Ahmad Noor has been appointed as the Acting Head of Afghanistan’s Embassy in New Delhi.
Noor Ahmad Noor, who previously served as First Political Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has arrived in New Delhi and has officially assumed responsibility for overseeing the affairs of Afghanistan’s embassy.
This move may also signal India’s willingness to maintain communication channels with Afghanistan’s current authorities without formally recognizing the government.
However, the recent meeting between India’s Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar, and the Islamic Emirate’s Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, is considered a turning point in relations between the two sides.
During the meeting, India’s foreign minister agreed to accept Islamic Emirate diplomats for Afghanistan’s embassy in New Delhi, a decision that paved the way for the appointment of the new acting head of the mission.