India’s endorsement of Taliban nominee Ikramuddin Kamil as second secretary signals a pragmatic shift toward formal recognition of Afghanistan’s administration.
New Delhi: In a significant step towards formalising diplomatic ties between Delhi and Kabul, the Indian government is likely to accept the Taliban-led government’s request to appoint a representative for the Afghanistan consulate in Mumbai. This move, involving the endorsement of a nominee forwarded by the Taliban, would signal India’s pragmatic approach to engaging with the current Afghan administration, with the next possible step being the extension of full formal recognition.
The said person, Ikramuddin Kamil, is likely to be placed as second secretary.
The development is interesting, as so far, government of India has maintained a studied distance as far as diplomatic movements between the two countries are concerned after the Taliban government came to power in August 2021.
It is pertinent to mention that while there has been a dial down as far as formal diplomatic relations are concerned, both Kabul and Delhi have been maintaining ties and exchanging information, albeit at an informal level.
A small “technical” team of Indian officials have been working in Kabul for few months now.
After assuming power, the Taliban government as, contrary to the narrative that was being pushed, has not presented itself as a haven for Pakistan backed terror groups and let Afghanistan emerge as a hot bed of terrorists. On the contrary, Kabul has ensured that India focused terror groups like Laskhar and Jaish are not allowed to operate or hide in Afghanistan.
The increasing closeness between Delhi and Kabul is being seen as an indication of how Taliban has conducted itself as far as India ‘s strategic needs are concerned.
The person who is likely to be appointed, Ikramuddin Kamil was a student in India and has completed his PhD from South Asian University. After the fall of Ashraf Ghani government, he went back to Afghanistan and started working for the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Sources told The Sunday Guardian that has now returned to Delhi on a normal passport and is posted at Mumbai consulate. He is likely to be given a diplomatic passport and will be appointed as the Second Secretary at the consulate.
When contacted Kamil refused to comment on his appointment. Afghanistan foreign ministry officials including Abdul Balki and Zia Ahmad too did not comment on these developments when asked for a confirmation by The Sunday Guardian.
A senior official source in Kabul described him as an “intelligent” person.
Accepting a representative from the Taliban government will also offer India an avenue to safeguard its interests, ensure the safety of Indian projects, and maintain a line of communication. At the same time, this move will likely be followed by other countries and accept the appointment of new diplomats as many countries still remain cautious about recognising, or fully engaging with the Taliban regime.