New Delhi:This question arises as the Taliban has appointed a representative, Ikramuddin Kamil, as its acting consulate officer in Mumbai. This marks the first such appointment by the Taliban government in India. While there has been no official response from India, Taliban-controlled media have reported Kamil’s appointment and noted that he is already based in Mumbai, where he will handle consular services.
Just last week, a delegation from India reportedly met with the Taliban’s Defense Minister, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob. Observers believe that this meeting might have led to the agreement on Kamil’s appointment. According to Bakhtar News Agency, which is overseen by the Taliban, Kamil will serve as the Acting Consul of the Islamic Emirate in Mumbai. He holds a Ph.D. in International Law and previously managed the Department of Security Cooperation and Border Affairs within Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The appointment was confirmed by Taliban Deputy Foreign Minister Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, who shared the news on X (formerly Twitter).
Sources familiar with the matter revealed that Kamil had previously received a scholarship from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations to study at the South Asian University in Delhi, which is managed by SAARC member nations. Having lived in India for several years, Kamil’s presence is expected to fill a diplomatic gap left after most Afghan diplomats, including former Ambassador Farid Mamundzay, were recalled by the Taliban following the previous Ashraf Ghani administration’s end. Mamundzay left India in 2023, and the Taliban recalled additional staff citing a lack of cooperation from the Indian government.
With Kamil’s appointment, there is hope for renewed diplomatic engagement between India and Afghanistan. This development also comes at a time when Taliban relations with Pakistan have strained, potentially opening new avenues for dialogue between India and Afghanistan under the Taliban government.