After Mumbai, another Taliban representative takes charge of Afghanistan's Hyderabad consulate: Sources

New Delhi/Kabul, Aug 6 After Mumbai, another Afghan Taliban representative has taken charge of the consular work in Hyderabad as the regime in Kabul continues to express its keenness on expanding diplomatic presence in India.

A top source told IANS on Wednesday that M. Rehman, the Taliban regime's new representative, has been heading Afghanistan's Hyderabad consulate since June this year.

Ikramuudin Kamil had last year taken charge of Afghanistan's Mumbai Consulate while the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi continues to be headed by Charge d'Affaires Said Muhammad Ibrahim Khil, who was appointed by the government headed by former President Ashraf Ghani.

Officially, Khil is also the in-charge of the Hyderabad mission, but sources aware of the matter said that since June, the new representative sent by the Taliban has been calling the shots as far as the consular work is concerned.

These back-to-back appointments in Mumbai and Hyderabad signal Kabul's intent to maintain cordial diplomatic relations with New Delhi.

Since the Taliban's takeover, some Afghan diplomats had left India as they obtained residency in third countries, while those who remained in India took over the responsibility for the continued functioning of the war-torn country's diplomatic missions.

Last month, Russia became the first country to formally recognise Afghanistan's Taliban government, which has been facing flak from human rights groups and at the global level for its treatment towards women, a key factor which is acting as a roadblock for the Taliban regime to get global recognition.

The India-based personnel of the Embassy in Kabul returned to India in the aftermath of the takeover by the Taliban. However, since June 2022, an Indian technical team has been positioned in the Embassy and is active in respect of humanitarian assistance and other situations. India's stance in regard to recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is in consonance with that of the international community.

Another source told IANS that after New Delhi resumed granting visas to Afghan nationals, including medical visas, a high-level delegation from Kabul could visit New Delhi next month.

"If the delegation comes and all goes well, it will be a big step in enhancing diplomatic relations with Kabul. The fact is that the Taliban wants to take over the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi, which is at the moment headed by someone who is still representing the older regime. It seems that by the end of this year, Taliban-appointed personnel would take over the New Delhi Embassy and that would mark a new beginning in India-Taliban relations," said an official on the condition of anonymity.

Quite notably, there has been high-level engagement between New Delhi and Kabul recently.

Post Operation Sindoor, India's External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar spoke with the acting Afghan Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi and appreciated the latter's strong condemnation of the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri also met Muttaqi during a visit to the UAE in January, as both sides agreed to promote the use of the Iranian port of Chabahar for trade with the Indian delegation.

In November 2024, former Joint Secretary in-charge of the Pakistan-Iran and Afghanistan desks, J.P. Singh, now India's Ambassador to Israel, travelled to Kabul and met Muhammad Yaqoob Mujahid, the Taliban's Defence Minister.

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