The Taliban administration in Kabul has appointed a new representative at the Afghanistan Consulate General in Mumbai, according to a pro-Taliban news website.
Ikramuddin Kamil has been appointed as the ‘Acting Consul’ at the Afghan mission in Mumbai, Bakhtar News Agency said.
“This appointment is part of the Islamic Emirate’s efforts to strengthen diplomatic ties and enhance its presence abroad. Dr. Kamil is expected to facilitate consular services and represent the interests of Afghanistan in India, fostering collaboration between the two nations,” it said in a social media post.
Sources said Mr. Ikramuddin has been pursuing a Ph.D. programme at the South Asia University in Delhi and has been appointed as the Consul General in Mumbai as there is an urgent need to increase the number of officials at the Afghan missions in India to deal with the consular work for visiting Afghans. It has been learnt that Mr. Ikramuddin is a recipient of scholarship from the Government of India.
The development came days after the head of the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran desk, J.P. Singh, travelled to Kabul and met with several representatives of the Taliban, including ‘Defence Minister’ Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, and discussed the continued use of the port of Chabahar in Iran to enhance connectivity with Afghanistan and the Central Asian region.
This was the first formal meeting between an Indian official and Yaqoob, who is the son of the late Mullah Omar, who led the Taliban during the fight with the U.S. in 2001.
On Monday, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India began a three day South Asian Telecom Regulators’ Council which also included representatives from the Taliban, indicating continued dialogue.
India is among the countries that has maintained dialogue with the Taliban without recognising the administration that the Taliban have named as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. After the Taliban takeover of Kabul, a tug of war had ensued between the officials of the erstwhile government of President Ashraf Ghani and the Taliban which ultimately led to the exodus of the then Ambassador Farid Mamundzai and other diplomats who reportedly took refuge in the West. Sources said that India will follow the “set process” for recognition and work with the international community on this matter.
Subsequently, a decision was taken to maintain consular services at the Afghan missions in New Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad in view of the large number of students and medical tourists who visit India from Afghanistan. The post of the Consul General however fell vacant earlier this May when Zakia Wardak, the Consul General, was arrested while allegedly trying to smuggle in gold from abroad. Ms. Wardak resigned on May 4, 2024 blaming “defamation and personal attacks”.
Since the arrival of the Taliban in a rapid military operation in August 2021, India has focused on supporting the Afghan people with food and medicine supplies while downplaying the role of facilitator that the Taliban administration has been playing in these initiatives. The latest move, however, drew attention as it coincided with the Taliban’s outreach to the upcoming Trump administration in the U.S. The Taliban have urged the Trump team to release the $10 billion of Afghan banks which the U.S. continues to hold.
Published - November 12, 2024 10:53 pm IST
