Capping all speculation, the Afghanistan Embassy has finally announced that is shutting down its operations in India from October 1. A statement released by the Embassy said the move is a result of "a lack of support from the host nation and a reduction in personnel and resources."
This comes as reports said the embassy suspended its operations after the ambassador and other senior diplomats left India for Europe and the United States where they managed to secure asylum, a claim it denied.
In a statement, the Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi said it regrets announcing the decision which was "made after careful consideration, taking into account the historic ties and long-standing partnership between Afghanistan and India."
According to the embassy, it lacked support from the host government which stopped it from carrying out duties effectively. "We acknowledge our shortcomings in meeting the expectations and requirements necessary to serve the best interests of Afghanistan and its citizens due to the lack of diplomatic support in India and the absence of a legitimate functioning government in Kabul," the mission said.
"There has been a significant reduction in both personnel and resources available to it, making it increasingly challenging to continue operations. The lack of timely and sufficient support from visa renewal for diplomats to other critical areas of cooperation led to an understandable frustration among our team and impeded our ability to carry out routine duties effectively," the statement said.
"It is with deep regret that we have taken the difficult decision to close all operations of the mission with the exception of emergency consular services to Afghan citizens till the transfer of the custodial authority of the mission to the host country," it said.
The embassy has been headed by Ambassador Farid Mamundzay who was appointed by the previous Ashraf Ghani government and he has been operating as the Afghan envoy even after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021. However, a power struggle ensued after the Taliban took over the country. In April-May, the Taliban appointed Qadir Shah as charge d'affaires to head the mission, replacing Mamundzay.
However, the embassy declined to accept the appointment, rejecting "the claims from an individual claiming to have taken charge of the mission at the behest of the Taliban."
India is yet to recognise the Taliban set-up and is yet to open a mission in Kabul. However, there is a technical team to coordinate humanitarian efforts. The Ministry of External Affairs was aware of the power struggle and spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had tagged it "an internal matter of the Afghan embassy."
However, the statement rejected the "baseless claims" regarding internal strife or discord amongst its diplomatic staff or any diplomats using the crisis to seek asylum in a third country. "Such rumours are unfounded and do not reflect the reality of our mission. We remain a united team working towards the best interests of Afghanistan," the embassy said.
The embassy also said it would like to verify the "authenticity" of an earlier communication with the Ministry of External Affairs regarding the intent to close the mission. "This communication accurately represents our decision-making process and the factors leading to the closure," the statement said.
"We request the government of India to give serious consideration to the four requests outlined in the official note verbal submitted earlier. Specifically, we emphasize the importance of permitting the hoisting of the Afghan flag over the properties of our premises, as well as facilitating the smooth transition of the mission's buildings and assets to a legitimate government in Kabul in the future," the statement said.
The embassy also acknowledged that, given the gravity of this decision, "there may be some who receive support and instructions from Kabul that may differ from our current course of action".
The Embassy of Afghanistan made an "unequivocal statement" regarding the activities of certain consulates. "It is our firm belief that any actions taken by these consulates are not in consonance with the objectives of a legitimate or elected government and rather serve the interests of an illegitimate regime," the statement said.
The embassy also said it is keen to reach an agreement with the Indian government at the earliest possible juncture.
