Taliban to host first public Victory Day reception in India on August 17

Theindiapostdaily.com – Five years after returning to power in Afghanistan, the Taliban is set to host its first-ever public reception in India to mark its "Victory Day", signalling growing engagement between New Delhi and the regime.The reception will be held on August 17 and is being hosted by Noor Ahmed Noor, the Taliban's chargé d’affaires at the Afghan embassy in New Delhi. Diplomats, prominent members of society, members of the Afghan diaspora and media representatives are expected to attend."The reception will be like other events that used to be hosted by the Afghan embassy before the fall of the Ashraf Ghani government in August 2021. It will be different as it is the first event being hosted in New Delhi by the Taliban," a person familiar with the matter said, Hindustan Times reported.The Indian government is also expected to be represented at the event, though it is not immediately clear who will attend, according to a TOI report.

The Indian side is expected to closely watch the diplomatic symbols used at the reception, including the flag.The formal invitation described Noor as the chargé d’affaires of the "Embassy of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" in India. Who is hosting the Taliban's Victory Day reception?Noor, the first Taliban-appointed official posted to New Delhi since the group took control of Afghanistan, arrived in India in January. He has since held several interactions with officials of the Ministry of External Affairs.Noor previously served as director general of the first political department at Afghanistan's foreign ministry in Kabul.

He was also part of the delegation that accompanied Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi during his visit to India in October last year.Muttaqi's visit was the first by a senior Taliban functionary to India. During the visit, New Delhi agreed to allow the Taliban to post diplomats in the Indian capital.Two other Taliban officials posted to India, Ikramuddin Kamil and Habibur Rahman Aftab, currently head the Afghan consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad. How has India-Taliban engagement grown?Following Muttaqi's visit, India upgraded the status of its "technical mission" in Kabul to a full-fledged embassy.

The Ministry of External Affairs said the decision "underscores India's resolve to deepen bilateral engagement" with Afghanistan.Three more Taliban leaders have subsequently travelled to India to discuss cooperation in different sectors.Industry minister Nooruddin Azizi visited India in November 2025, followed by health minister Noor Jalal Jalali in December 2025. Agriculture minister Ataullah Omari travelled to India in July this year.India has also allocated ₹150 crore for Afghanistan in its 2026-27 Budget and has provided humanitarian assistance to the country. New Delhi has also backed Afghanistan during recent tensions with Pakistan.Does India recognise the Taliban?India does not officially recognise the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

Its position remains in line with that of the international community.At the same time, New Delhi has pursued pragmatic engagement with the Taliban, including allowing the group to take control of the Afghan embassy in India. The engagement has focused on protecting India's security and regional interests while maintaining its historic goodwill and development presence in Afghanistan.The shift has also been aided by changes in the Taliban's relationship with Pakistan.What is Taliban Victory Day?The Taliban observes Victory Day on August 15 every year to commemorate its return to Kabul in 2021 following the withdrawal of US-led NATO forces.The August 17 reception in New Delhi will therefore mark the anniversary of the Taliban's return to power and will be its first public event of this nature in India.