New Delhi: Hours after the announcement that the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi under the control of the erstwhile “Islamic Republic of Afghanistan” has decided to stop its operations, the Taliban, the new rulers of Afghanistan, have urged India to allow its own diplomats to operate in the country.
The Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi in a three-page statement posted on social media site X originally launched as Twitter Saturday September 30, 2023 had announced that it was shutting down its Embassy in New Delhi.
The Embassy cited various reasons for its decision to shut down the Embassy including lack of support from the “host country” and lack of funds and resources.
"The Embassy has experienced a notable absence of crucial support from the host government, which has hindered our ability to carry out our duties effectively," the statement said.
The statement is issued on the letter of the “Islamic Republic of Afghanistan” the government headed by former President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani.
After taking over the control of Afghanistan in 2021 and announcing independence, the Taliban also announced the birth of “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan”.
India however did not recognise the Taliban and their new government in Afghanistan. Accordingly, new diplomats were not appointed after the change of rule in Afghanistan, and the existing staff appointed by the erstwhile government continued to operate in the Embassy. The Embassy however said it will no longer be imparting consular duties.
Soon after the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi made the announcement to shut down, Taliban asked India to allow diplomats appointed by the new regime to operate.
“There are thousands of Afghanistan students who study in India and need visas and other consular services. In addition to that, thousands of Afghan citizens seek medical treatment in India, this requires that there should be someone who is trusted and connected with foreign ministry in Kabul and efficiently tackle the issue,” The Times of India quoted a top Taliban official as saying. “Above all, it is the need of the hour to build trust and positive relations between the two countries, this can be achieved only by a trusted diplomat from the foreign ministry in Kabul being appointed to Afghan embassy in New Delhi,” the Taliban official whose identity was revealed by the newspaper said.
“There are thousands of Afghanistan students who study in India and need visas and other consular services. In addition to that, thousands of Afghan citizens seek medical treatment in India, this requires that there should be someone who is trusted and connected with foreign ministry in Kabul and efficiently tackle the issue,” The Times of India quoted a top Taliban official as saying.
“Above all, it is the need of the hour to build trust and positive relations between the two countries, this can be achieved only by a trusted diplomat from the foreign ministry in Kabul being appointed to Afghan embassy in New Delhi,” the Taliban official whose identity was revealed by the newspaper said.
The Taliban had earlier this year appointed Mohammad Qadir Shah, it's charge d’affaires in India, to handle relations with the country. Qadir Shah was however physically prevented from even entering the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi by Farid Mamundzay and his team of diplomats.
Mamundzay was appointed as envoy by the Ashraf Ghani government but he still uses for him the title “Ambassador of Afghanistan”.
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