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25-11-2023
Bureau Report
NEW DELHI/ KABUL: The Afghanistan embassy in New Delhi has been shut down after the diplomats appointed by the Ashraf Ghani-government failed to get visa extensions from India, reported media citing the outgoing ambassador’s statement issued on Friday.
Even though India, like all other countries, is yet to recognize the Taliban government which seized power in 2021 had initially allowed Ambassador Farid Mamundzay and mission staff to continue operating the embassy, issuing visas and handling trade matters.
In September, however, the envoy and senior staff left for Europe and the US to seek asylum, and the embassy said it was suspending operations.
An embassy statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday said that the uncertainty was over, and the mission was shutting and the keys have been returned to New Delhi. It also said that the Indian government and the Taliban pressure had forced them to take the decision.
“Unfortunately, despite an eight-week wait, the objectives of visa extension for diplomats and a shift in the Indian government’s conduct were not realized,” Mamundzay said in the statement.
“Given the constant pressure from both the Taliban and the Indian government to relinquish control, the embassy faced a difficult choice,” the statement added.
Afghan diplomats in India appointed by Ghani’s government have reached third countries and there are none remaining in India, the embassy statement said.
“The only individuals present in India are diplomats affiliated with the Taliban, visibly attending their regular online meetings,” the statement said.
The statement did not make clear about the fate of the Afghan consulates present in other cities, including Mumbai.
Media tried reaching out to India’s foreign ministry and the Taliban-run Afghan foreign ministry but is yet to receive a response from them.
It said the decision to cease operations was a result of broader changes in policy and said the move should not be characterized as an internal rift within the embassy.
The embassy also noted that the number of Afghans living in India has significantly declined over the past two years, with refugees, students and others leaving the country.
On September 30, it had said that a failure to meet expectations in serving Afghanistan’s interests was also a key reason why it was shutting operations. At the time, it had said it would continue to provide emergency consular services to Afghan nationals.
