Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – Amid growing speculation that India may accept a Taliban-appointed diplomat to lead the Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi, prominent Afghan exiles have urged the Indian government not to “normalise” its engagement with the regime in Kabul.
Reports carried by Afghan media, citing Taliban Foreign Ministry officials and international news agency Bloomberg, indicate that New Delhi is considering the move, weeks after India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held talks with the Taliban’s ‘acting’ Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Dubai on January 8. The meeting marks the highest-level engagement between the Indian government and the Taliban since the group seized power in August 2021.
In November 2024, India accepted a Taliban-nominated envoy, Ikramuddin Kamil, as ‘Acting Consul General’ in Mumbai. If New Delhi allows a Taliban-appointed diplomat to lead its Afghanistan Embassy, it would align itself with countries such as China, Pakistan, Russia, Iran, the UAE, Qatar, and several Central Asian states. However, at least 16 nations, including Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and several European countries, have rejected Taliban-nominated envoys and continue to recognise ambassadors appointed by the former Afghan Republic.
Speaking at the Herat Security Dialogue in Madrid, organised by the London-based Afghanistan Institute of Strategic Studies, former Afghan officials and diplomats voiced strong concerns over India’s potential shift in policy.
“This shift would mark a stark departure from India’s historical stance and undermine its credibility as a nation that has long condemned terrorism in all forms,” said Ashraf Haidari, former Afghan Ambassador and president of Displaced International, an organisation advocating for the rights of displaced Afghans. “The Afghan people expect India to uphold its own stated foreign policy of making no distinction between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ terrorists, demonstrating a principled and consistent approach rather than one driven by short-term geopolitical calculations.”
Mr. Haidari, who previously served as Afghanistan’s Deputy Chief of Mission in New Delhi and later as Ambassador to Sri Lanka, has been vocal in his criticism of India’s engagement with the Taliban. He also condemned New Delhi for continuing to deny visas to thousands of Afghan students who had secured admission to Indian universities.
“India has effectively abandoned the Afghan people, choosing instead to align with a terrorist network responsible for deadly attacks on Indian personnel and assets in Afghanistan,” he told The Hindu.
While India has not officially recognised the Taliban government, it has maintained a diplomatic presence in Kabul since June 2022. The country’s evolving approach to the Taliban continues to be a subject of intense debate among policymakers and analysts, as New Delhi navigates complex regional and international dynamics.
