New Delhi (TIP)- Afghanistan Embassy on Friday, November 24, announced its permanent closure, citing “persistent challenges from the Indian government”, even as heads of its Mumbai and Hyderabad missions claimed to have assumed the leadership of the embassy here. The developments come after the Afghanistan Embassy had announced on September 30 that it is ceasing its operations from October 1. The mission had then cited a lack of support from the host government, failure to meet expectations in serving Afghanistan’s interests and reduction in personnel and resources.
In a statement, the embassy said it regrets announcing the permanent closure of its diplomatic mission in New Delhi, effective from November 23, “owing to persistent challenges from the Indian government”.
“This decision follows the embassy’s earlier cessation of operations on 30th September 2023, a move made in the hope that the Indian government’s stance would evolve favourably for the normal continuation of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in New Delhi,” the statement said.
Unfortunately, despite an eight-week wait, the objectives of visa extension for diplomats and a shift in the Indian government’s conduct were not realised, the Afghan embassy said. “Given the constant pressure from both the Taliban and the Indian government to relinquish control, the embassy faced a difficult choice,” it said.
However, Consul General of Afghanistan in Mumbai Zakia Wardak and Acting Consul General in Hyderabad Sayed Mohammad Ibrahimkhil declared in a statement that in view of the friendly relations between India and Afghanistan, they again reiterate that they have decided to ensure continued functioning of the embassy in New Delhi.
The two diplomats said they have assumed the leadership of the Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi. Wardak and Ibrahimkhil urged everyone to kindly ignore and disregard the “unprofessional and irresponsible communications issued by the former Afghan diplomats who are based abroad and have no locus standi in the internal affairs of Afghan Embassy in New Delhi”.
“Such random, fraudulent, baseless and factually incorrect communications are creating panic, distrust and negativity in the overall functioning of the Embassy, as well as amongst the Afghan nationals. Such communications do not represent the wish of all Afghans,” they said in the statement which was also issued on the letter head of the Afghan Embassy.
Wardak and Ibrahimkhil, in their statement, requested former Afghan ambassador and former diplomats to “not use the social media platforms of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, New Delhi for issuing any unwarranted, irresponsible and unprofessional statements/press releases from abroad”.
“We are in constant touch with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India and trying to address the current difficult situation wherein most of our former Embassy colleagues have received asylum and left India, therefore, we are facing shortage of diplomatic and official staff,” they said.
Earlier, the statement put out on the Afghan Embassy handle, said that as of now, there are no diplomats from the Afghan Republic remaining in India.
Source: PTI