NEW DELHI — India is expected to allow the Taliban to appoint a representative to lead Afghanistan’s embassy in New Delhi, but without granting official diplomatic status, according to Indian media reports.
Despite this arrangement, the embassy will continue to operate under the name of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, maintaining its official status as the diplomatic mission of the previous Afghan government, the reports said.
The Taliban’s nominee for the role has not been formally approved by the Indian government and will not receive diplomatic accreditation, according to the reports.
The development follows a meeting between Vikram Misri, India’s deputy national security adviser, and Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s foreign minister, in the United Arab Emirates. The reports suggest that an agreement was reached during this meeting, though India is not recognizing the envoy as an official ambassador.
A shift in India-Taliban relations
On Feb. 23, 2025, a senior Taliban official tod Amu TV that the Taliban-run Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indian government are close to finalizing an agreement that would formally transfer control of Afghanistan’s embassy in New Delhi to the Taliban.
As part of the potential deal, India may send dozens of personnel, including several new diplomats, to fully resume operations at its embassy and consulates in Afghanistan, with the Taliban guaranteeing their security, the official said.
According to the source, the Taliban have proposed three candidates to manage the embassy, with a strong preference for Najib Shaheen, the son of Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban’s designated ambassador in Doha.
Afghanistan’s embassy in New Delhi ceased operations in December 2023, citing a lack of visa extensions for its diplomats and pressure from both the Taliban and the Indian government.
“Despite eight weeks of waiting, visa extensions for our diplomats were not granted, nor was there a change in India’s stance,” the embassy said in a statement at the time. “Sustained pressure from the Taliban and the Indian government to step away from diplomatic duties left the embassy with a difficult choice.”
Following the closure, Afghanistan’s consulate in Mumbai released a video in which Zakia Wardak, the former consul general in Mumbai, and Sayed Mohammad Ebrahimkhil, the consul general in Hyderabad, announced they had assumed responsibility for the embassy.
India’s strategic considerations
Negotiations between the Taliban and Indian officials reportedly began after a meeting on January 8 between Amir Khan Muttaqi and India’s deputy foreign minister in the UAE. Analysts suggest that regional dynamics may be pushing India toward engagement with the Taliban.
“Russia’s evolving stance in Central Asia, China and Pakistan’s positioning, and the United States’ shifting focus on the region have made the situation highly sensitive,” said political analyst Aziz Rafiee. “As a major regional power, India feels the need to act strategically to avoid being left behind in these geopolitical shifts. This is why India is now exploring deeper engagement with the Taliban to establish its own foothold in Afghanistan.”
In May 2023, Indian media reported that Wardak was briefly detained at an Indian airport on suspicion of smuggling 25 kilograms of gold. Though she denied the allegations, she later resigned from her position.
Afghanistan currently has consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad. The Mumbai consulate is now under the management of Ikrimuddin Kamil, a Taliban-appointed official who, according to his social media profile, studied international trade and investment law at South Asian University in India. After the fall of the previous Afghan government, Kamil returned to Afghanistan and joined the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry.
Neither the Indian government nor the Taliban have officially commented on the reported negotiations. However, Afghan citizens and rights advocates have repeatedly called for any international engagement with the Taliban to be conditioned on human rights commitments and the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan.
