India, Aug. 14 -- Five years after storming to power in Afghanistan, the Taliban regime is set to host its first ever public reception in India next week to mark the anniversary of its "Victory Day", reflecting the broadening engagement between the two sides.

The "celebration and reception" on August 17 is being hosted by Noor Ahmed Noor, the Taliban's charge d'affaires at the Afghan embassy in New Delhi, and the event is expected to be attended by diplomats, prominent members of society, members of the Afghan diaspora and the media. "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...