India-Afghanistan Ties Deepen As Taliban Envoy Marks Victory Day In Delhi

Mufti Noor Ahmad Noor, the Taliban-appointed Chargé d'Affaires at the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi, used the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the Taliban's return to power to deliver a wide-ranging address on Monday celebrating Afghanistan's "stability" and calling for deeper engagement with India, even as Kabul's relationship with Islamabad continues to deteriorate into open conflict.

Addressing an audience that included Dr. Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary in India's Ministry of External Affairs and the event's chief guest, along with numerous foreign diplomats, Noor described August 15, the 24th of Asad by the Afghan calendar, as more than "the anniversary of a political transformation."

He said it also marks "the beginning of a new chapter," one in which Afghanistan has "left the chapter of war behind" and is working, under what he called "prudent and unified leadership," toward "stability, reconstruction, economic growth, and the expansion of relations with the world on the basis of mutual respect."

Much of the speech was devoted to the Taliban government's record over the past five years. Noor credited the administration with "the implementation of the sacred Sharia, the strengthening of the country's security and independent decision-making," and argued this security serves not just Afghans but "the shared interests of the region and the world." A "peaceful, stable and responsible Afghanistan," he said, "creates new opportunities for regional connectivity, trade, investment and economic cooperation."

On the economic front, Noor pointed to efforts including "managing government affairs through domestic revenues, developing infrastructure, strengthening transport corridors, investment in the energy, mining and agricultural sectors," and highlighted progress on the TAPI gas pipeline and the CASA-1000 electricity transmission project as "important foundations for Afghanistan's economic growth and regional connectivity." He also cited "administrative reforms," anti-corruption measures, and efforts to combat narcotics cultivation and trafficking as steps meant to "improve the quality of governance and further strengthen public confidence."

Bridge, Not Battleground

Noor framed Afghanistan's geography as central to its foreign policy vision, declaring that "Afghanistan's geography should not be a field for negative competition, but rather a bridge for connectivity, cooperation and shared prosperity." He described the country's foreign policy as resting on "balanced engagement, mutual respect, non-interference and shared interests," and said Afghanistan seeks "positive, constructive, pragmatic and sustainable relations with all countries."

A History-Laden Appeal To India

The India-specific portion of the speech was notably warm in tone. Noor invoked centuries of shared heritage, saying Afghanistan and India "have remained connected through trade, transit, sports, and a shared cultural heritage," with historic routes between the two serving as "channels for the exchange of knowledge and art" and the transmission of "literature and spirituality." He recalled how Afghan cities like Kabul, Herat and Kandahar "welcomed Indian traders and caravans," while Delhi and Lahore "benefited from the influence of Afghan scholars, poets, and Sufis." He also noted the two countries' shared struggle against British colonial rule, calling this common history an inspiration "for a better future."

Turning to recent diplomacy, Noor said bilateral ties have seen "significant progress, guided by mutual respect, political engagement, and shared interests," pointing to expanded embassies and consulates and continued high-level exchanges. He specifically referenced recent visits by Afghanistan's Foreign Minister and other sectoral ministers to India, adding that "the two countries have reached understandings in various areas." He expressed gratitude to Indian Foreign Minister Dr. S Jaishankar "for their support in protecting and respecting the international rights of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan," and voiced hope for "greater attention and practical efforts" from India on Afghanistan's international standing.

A Rupture With Pakistan

Noor's speech made no direct mention of Pakistan, but it comes against the backdrop of a sharp and violent breakdown in Kabul-Islamabad relations.

What began as sporadic cross-border skirmishes in October 2025 escalated into what Pakistan's own defence minister has called "open war" by late February 2026, after Pakistan's military launched "Operation Ghazab lil-Haq," striking targets across Afghanistan, and the Taliban retaliated with cross-border operations of its own.

The UN reported that at least 372 Afghan civilians were killed in just the first quarter of 2026, more than half of them in a single Pakistani strike on a drug-rehabilitation hospital in Kabul. Islamabad accuses the Taliban of sheltering Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, a charge Kabul denies, while border crossings including Torkham and Chaman have faced repeated closures, choking off Afghanistan's transit trade.

It is against this backdrop that New Delhi's outreach to Kabul has accelerated sharply. India upgraded its technical mission in Kabul into a full embassy after Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi's landmark October 2025 visit, the first by a senior Taliban official and reciprocated by allowing the Taliban to install Noor as CDA in New Delhi in January 2026, alongside Taliban-appointed diplomats already running Afghan consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad.

Since then, Kabul has sent its Commerce and Health ministers to Delhi for talks on trade and pharmaceuticals, while India has continued humanitarian and medical assistance. India still does not formally recognise the Taliban government, only Russia has done so but analysts note the normalisation of "structured, though carefully calibrated" engagement, even as an Afghan opposition group, the National Resistance Council, has criticised the embassy handover as "contrary to the ground realities in Afghanistan."

Concluding his remarks, Noor thanked attendees for their presence, calling it "a manifestation of respect and mutual friendship," and prayed for Afghanistan's success "towards success, peace, stability and prosperity."