By Admin 
Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaki reached Delhi on Thursday (9 October 2025) on a week-long visit. He was warmly welcomed in India. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that we are eager to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues with him.
Amir Khan Muttaki may meet India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval. This visit is considered very important from the point of view of regional diplomacy. Pakistan had tried hard in the United Nations to prevent Muttaki from visiting India.
Trouble arose over Taliban flag
While preparations are going on in the Ministry of External Affairs for bilateral meetings between the two countries, there is a dilemma in front of the officials regarding the flag. As per diplomatic protocol, the Indian flag should be placed side by side with the flag of the visiting leader’s country for photographs to be taken. Since India does not recognize Taliban rule in Afghanistan, it cannot give official status to the Taliban flag.
The old flag of Afghanistan is being hoisted in the embassy
India has not yet given permission to hoist the Taliban flag over the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi. The embassy still flies the old flag of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, which was now the official flag under former President Ashraf Ghani. During the last meeting between Indian officials and Muttaki, Afghanistan had used the Taliban flag in the background.
Earlier this year, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had a meeting with Muttaki in Dubai. During this time the authorities had solved the problem by not placing any flag at the back. During this period, neither the tricolor nor the Taliban flag was hoisted, but this time the meeting is being held in Delhi and this issue has become a diplomatic challenge for the authorities.
India-Afghanistan relations back on track
There have been friendly relations between India and Afghanistan. After the withdrawal of America from here in the year 2021 and the return of Taliban to power, India closed its embassy in Kabul. About a year later, India launched a small mission to facilitate trade, medical aid and humanitarian assistance.
India has not officially recognized the Taliban government, but has taken tentative steps to improve relations through meetings and talks between senior officials of the foreign ministries of the two countries. Muttaki’s visit to India is expected to add a new dimension to India’s relations with the Taliban based in Kabul.