Taliban Deny Expulsion Of Indian Diplomat, Say His Mission Ended
The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry said an Indian diplomat recently recalled from Kabul had not been expelled but had simply completed his mission.
The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry said an Indian diplomat recently recalled from Kabul had not been expelled but had simply completed his mission.
The ministry said Harish Kumar, a senior Indian diplomat, was not declared “persona non grata,” contradicting earlier reports that he had been forced out over alleged contacts with Taliban opponents.
India’s Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions states that diplomatic postings abroad are typically for three years and may be extended. Records reviewed by Afghanistan International show Kumar’s diplomatic passport, number D1156181, was issued on 15 September 2023. His visa indicated that his first entry into Afghanistan was on 24 May 2025, meaning his stay lasted less than three months, around 85 days, before his departure.
Sources in Kabul earlier told Afghanistan International that the Taliban expelled Kumar on 17 August for meeting with anti-Taliban figures and attempting to organise them. They said the Taliban labelled him “persona non grata” and forced him to leave the country.
Kumar had been posted to Kabul after the fall of Afghanistan’s previous government, serving as both a diplomat and an officer with India’s external intelligence agency.
According to the sources, he had held talks with opposition leaders during trips to Delhi and Qatar about convening a meeting in Islamabad. They added that Kumar also explored the possibility of organising a similar gathering in Qatar or Dubai, noting that Delhi was dissatisfied with the prospect of such a meeting being held in Islamabad.