NEW DELHI: The Afghan embassy in India has suspended all operations after the ambassador and other senior diplomats left the country for Europe and the United States where they gained asylum, Reuters reported quoting three embassy officials.
The embassy had been financially struggling for two years. It was being run by diplomats appointed by the previous Ashraf Ghani government that was overthrown by the Taliban in 2021.
The development could pave the way for Taliban diplomats to take over, Bloomberg reported.
India has not recognized the Taliban government which seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021.
It evacuated its own staff from Kabul ahead of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan two years ago and no longer has a diplomatic presence there.
India has said it will follow the lead of the United Nations in deciding whether to recognize the Taliban government.
Meanwhile, embassy officials said that at least five Afghan diplomats have left India.
The Indian government will now take over the diplomatic compound in a caretaker capacity, one of the Afghan officials said.
The ministry of external affairs is seeking to verify the authenticity of a letter it received regarding the embassy’s closing in the absence of the ambassador and reports of infighting among embassy workers.
“The authenticity of the communication and its contents are being examined,” said a government source, reacting to the development.
“This is in the context of the ambassador being out of India for past many months, steady departure of diplomats to third countries reportedly after receiving asylum as well as reports of infighting among embassy personnel,” he added.
The ‘ambassador’ himself, Farid Mamundzay, had been living abroad for many months even though he claimed to be running the embassy operations.
The announcement by the embassy cited lack of support from the Indian government for closing down.
“Despite numerous requests regarding key concerns about the diplomatic mission’s situation, educational initiatives, and support for consular services, humanitarian aid coordination, and commercial assistance to Afghan traders, necessary actions were not taken, or minimal support was provided by the relevant authorities,” it said.
Mamundzay and other diplomats had earlier blocked the appointment by the Taliban of an Afghan official, Qadir Shah, as charge d’affaires .
Had he been allowed to take over, Shah would have been the Taliban’s first envoy to India. Mamundzay and others, however, did not allow Shah to even enter the mission.
India is one of a dozen countries with a small mission in Kabul to facilitate trade, humanitarian aid and medical support. Bilateral trade in 2019-2020 reached $1.5 billion, but fell drastically after the Taliban government took office.
Earlier this month hundreds of Afghan college students living in India despite the expiry of their student visas staged a demonstration in New Delhi to urge the Indian government to extend their stay.
(With inputs from agencies)
The embassy had been financially struggling for two years. It was being run by diplomats appointed by the previous Ashraf Ghani government that was overthrown by the Taliban in 2021.
The development could pave the way for Taliban diplomats to take over, Bloomberg reported.
India has not recognized the Taliban government which seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021.
It evacuated its own staff from Kabul ahead of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan two years ago and no longer has a diplomatic presence there.
India has said it will follow the lead of the United Nations in deciding whether to recognize the Taliban government.
Meanwhile, embassy officials said that at least five Afghan diplomats have left India.
The Indian government will now take over the diplomatic compound in a caretaker capacity, one of the Afghan officials said.
The ministry of external affairs is seeking to verify the authenticity of a letter it received regarding the embassy’s closing in the absence of the ambassador and reports of infighting among embassy workers.
“The authenticity of the communication and its contents are being examined,” said a government source, reacting to the development.
“This is in the context of the ambassador being out of India for past many months, steady departure of diplomats to third countries reportedly after receiving asylum as well as reports of infighting among embassy personnel,” he added.
The ‘ambassador’ himself, Farid Mamundzay, had been living abroad for many months even though he claimed to be running the embassy operations.
The announcement by the embassy cited lack of support from the Indian government for closing down.
“Despite numerous requests regarding key concerns about the diplomatic mission’s situation, educational initiatives, and support for consular services, humanitarian aid coordination, and commercial assistance to Afghan traders, necessary actions were not taken, or minimal support was provided by the relevant authorities,” it said.
Mamundzay and other diplomats had earlier blocked the appointment by the Taliban of an Afghan official, Qadir Shah, as charge d’affaires .
Had he been allowed to take over, Shah would have been the Taliban’s first envoy to India. Mamundzay and others, however, did not allow Shah to even enter the mission.
India is one of a dozen countries with a small mission in Kabul to facilitate trade, humanitarian aid and medical support. Bilateral trade in 2019-2020 reached $1.5 billion, but fell drastically after the Taliban government took office.
Earlier this month hundreds of Afghan college students living in India despite the expiry of their student visas staged a demonstration in New Delhi to urge the Indian government to extend their stay.
(With inputs from agencies)
