Taliban name student as Afghan envoy in Mumbai, India yet to respond

Talib means student, and the Taliban regime in Kabul has proposed the name of a student who studied in New Delhi as the Acting Consul at Afghanistan's Consulate in Mumbai. Ikramuddin Kamil, who has been studying in India for seven years, has been named the envoy for the consulate in Mumbai, according to Afghanistan's Tolo News. This comes amid a period of relative diplomatic quiet following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, after which India severed the official relationship with its neighbour.

The proposal is still awaiting approval from New Delhi.

If approved, this would be the first diplomatic appointment by the Taliban to any Afghan mission in India since they seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021.

Ikramuddin Kamil, a young Afghan national, has been studying in India for seven years, pursuing his PhD in international law from South Asia University in Delhi on a scholarship provided by India's Ministry of External Affairs.

The development was also announced by Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the Taliban's deputy foreign minister for political affairs, who confirmed Kamil's new role on social media.

"In the city of Mumbai, India, the acting Consul of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Dr Hafiz Ikramuddin Kamil," Stanikzai, who also has an India connection, posted on X.

Kamil, who is currently in Mumbai, has previously served as the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Department of Security Cooperation and Border Affairs, according to a report by Kabul's Bakhtar News Agency.

TALIBAN NOMINEE IKRAMUDDIN KAMIL FAMILIAR WITH INDIA

His familiarity with India, having spent years in the country, may have been seen as a positive factor in the new proposed role. Although, the Bakhtar News Agency reported that Kamil in Mumbai "is fulfilling his duties", Indian daily The Indian Express reported that "India is yet to officially respond on the issue".

However, his status remains that of an Afghan national working for Afghans in India, rather than an officially recognised diplomat by the Indian government, The Indian Express reported, citing a source.

After the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021, India withdrew its diplomats from the missions in Kabul and provincial cities. Afghan diplomats from the New Delhi embassy had also left India.

Since 2021, the 'Islamic Emirate of the Taliban' has aimed to manage around 40 Afghan diplomatic missions worldwide, aimed at setting up official representation and providing support for Afghan nationals abroad, according to Tolo News.

The need for consular services in India is pressing, given the large Afghan community in India. A lone former diplomat had been managing to keep the Afghan mission operating in India, reported The Indian Express.

In October 2023, the Embassy of the 'Islamic Republic of Afghanistan' decided to end its operations in India, citing a "lack of support from the host government and the failure to meet expectations in serving Afghanistan's interests".

"Maintaining relations with India, especially when Afghanistan faces global isolation and Afghan citizens and traders need secure economic ties, could solve many of Afghanistan's challenges," Aziz Maarij, a former Afghan diplomat told Tolo News.

INDIAN DELEGATION VISITED KABUL LAST WEEK

This appointment proposal comes on the heels of a Kabul visit by an Indian delegation, led by JP Singh, Joint Secretary of the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran, division of the Ministry of External Affairs.

Singh is also said to have met "the interim Defence Minister of Afghanistan", said Randhir Jaiswal, the MEA's official spokesperson, in a November 7 presser.

The delegation met with Afghanistan’s interim defence minister, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, and discussed various issues, including the use of the Chabahar Port in Iran for enhancing connectivity and providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, according to Jaiswal.

Despite a dormant diplomatic engagement, India has not officially recognised the Taliban government, and Kamil's appointment proposal comes at a time when the Taliban regime of Afghanistan is desperately eyeing a United Nations seat. Does this anyhow signal a shift in stance and working towards a relationship? Only time will tell.