India is likely to bring in its first Taliban representative at its consulate in Mumbai, according to reports, in its push for talks with the former insurgent group since they claimed power in Kabul.
The Taliban have proposed the name of Ikramuddin Kamil as the Afghanistan representative at the country’s consulate in Mumbai, reported The Sunday Guardian. His name has been proposed for second secretary at Afghanistan consulate in Mumbai, the report added.
An official at the consulate confirmed to The Independent that Mr Kamil is visiting New Delhi and is yet to officially take charge as the consul general at the Mumbai consulate. According to the Guardian, he entered India on a standard passport and is likely to be issued a diplomatic passport soon.
If formalised by Delhi, Mr Kamil will be the first official to represent the hardline Islamist regime in India. The Taliban has been seeking international recognition and increased engagement with its Asian allies, including China and Pakistan.
The move of bringing in the Taliban officials in India is also seen as Delhi’s bid to expand diplomatic relationship and have an open communication channel with Afghanistan as terrorism concerns surge in the region.
Additionally, three more representatives of the Taliban are set to be introduced at the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan embassy in New Delhi, reported the Afghanistan International on Monday.
These three representatives include Najeeb Shaheen, son of Sohail Shaheen, the head of the Taliban’s political office in Qatar, who has been introduced as the charge d’affaires of the Afghan embassy in India, the report added. The Independent has not confirmed the reports.
The flurry of appointments come within a week of senior India’s foreign ministry official JP Singh meeting with the Taliban’s acting defence minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob as the two sat down in Kabul to expand the bilateral relations.
The meeting has been termed as a significant development as Mr Yaqoob, the son of the Taliban’s founder and late supreme leader Mullah Omar, has not publicly interacted with India’s interlocutors in the past, reported Indian daily Hindustan Times, citing people familiar with the matter.
Mr Singh, who is a joint secretary in India’s external affairs minister’s office and was on an unannounced visit to Kabul, also met with the Taliban’s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and former president Hamid Karzai, the report added.
The ministry of external affairs has not issued a comment or statement about the meeting.
