An important diplomatic change has occurred after the Taliban’s ascendance in Afghanistan in 2021, as one of the senior Taliban officials, Mufti Noor Ahmed Noor, has come to New Delhi to take over as the Charge d’Affaires of the Afghan Embassy. Noor Ahmed Noor held the position of Director General of the First Political Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan before and he was part of the team that accompanied Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi during his trip to India in October 2025. Despite India’s ongoing attempts to strategically manage its relationship with the government in Kabul to which the Taliban belongs, official sources have verified his entry into the embassy and the commencement of his activities there.
Who Is Noor Ahmed Noor?
India’s interactions with the Taliban have been ongoing despite the latter not being recognized by the former in an officially accepted manner, and the recent establishment of diplomatic ties is the result of such interactions. Engagements with high level officials have taken place in recent months which included an invitation to Amir Khan Muttaqi, and there were talks about humanitarian cooperation as well as bilateral ties. During the October visit, Muttaqi pointed out the embassy in New Delhi, verily with the Islamic Emirate’s flag being prominently exhibited, making it clear that the Taliban was determined to control its diplomatic missions. Farmers and political observers have reported that Afghan consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad are also under the management of diplomats appointed by the Taliban. India has kept its position of humanitarian support, providing aid and vital supplies to Afghanistan, but at the same time, it has refrained from formally recognizing the new government.
Afghanistan’s First Envoy To India Post-Taliban Takeover
Despite the unresolved issue of formal recognition, this appointment is considered by the sources to be a part of a bigger plan to keep open the lines of communication and mutual cooperation regarding trade, development, and security, which are the main concerns of the region. India has been providing humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, which has become its main policy towards the country since the Taliban took over again, the arrival of Noor might have a further impact on how the two countries conduct their diplomatic and practical engagement in the future.
