Mufti Noor Ahmad Noor, a senior Taliban official, arrived in New Delhi to assume leadership of the Afghanistan Embassy.
His appointment as Charge d’Affaires marks the first time a Taliban-nominated diplomat has taken control of the mission since the group seized power in Kabul in August 2021.
The move follows a landmark week-long visit by Taliban Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mottaqi in October 2025, during which an agreement was reached with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to formalise diplomatic representation.
Noor, a former Director General in Kabul and part of last year’s delegation to India, has been accepted as part of India’s pragmatic, people-centric engagement with Afghanistan, officials said. The tricolour of the former Afghan Republic will remain at the Shantipath embassy for now, with existing staff continuing to ensure continuity.
While India does not formally recognise the Taliban regime, it has maintained limited engagement through humanitarian aid and diplomatic contacts, allowing Taliban envoys to operate Afghan missions in Mumbai and Hyderabad, and the Delhi embassy to function under interim arrangements.
