India, Jan 10 : Senior Taliban official Mufti Noor Ahmad Noor has arrived in New Delhi to take charge as the Charge d’Affaires at Afghanistan’s Embassy, officials confirmed on Saturday.
Noor previously served as Director General of the First Political Department at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was part of Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s delegation during his seven-day visit to India in October 2025. During that visit, Muttaqi asserted control over the embassy, pointing to the Islamic Emirate’s flag while India continues to officially host the former Afghan regime’s flag.
“This is our flag. We fought jihad under this. This is 100 per cent our embassy. All those working here… they are all with us,” Muttaqi had told IANS at the time.
Although India has not formally recognised the Taliban government, it continues to supply aid and medical assistance, and has hosted multiple high-level Afghan delegations to strengthen bilateral ties, trade, and energy cooperation. India has also been actively involved in utilising the capacities of the Chabahar Port in Iran to support Afghanistan’s trade and investment needs.
Taliban-appointed diplomats now manage Afghan consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad, reflecting a gradual but cautious engagement by India with the Islamic Emirate. Previously, Said Muhammad Ibrahim Khil, appointed under the Ashraf Ghani government, served as the embassy’s Charge d’Affaires.
Noor Ahmad Noor’s arrival underscores ongoing India-Afghanistan interactions and the pragmatic approach New Delhi has adopted toward ensuring continuity in bilateral cooperation, particularly in aid, development, and trade, while stopping short of formal recognition of the Taliban regime.