New Delhi: The Afghan consul generals in India have announced their leadership of the embassy in New Delhi hours after its “permanent closure”. In a statement Friday, the two consul generals — Zakia Wardak, the consul general of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Mumbai, and Sayed Mohammad Ibrahimkhil, acting consul general in Hyderabad — “assured” Afghan nationals that the embassy continues to function as usual and urged everyone to “ignore” the “unprofessional” communications by the former Afghan diplomats.
“Assure Afghan nationals based in India that the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, New Delhi, continues to function as usual and that there will be no disruption in the provisioning of consular services,” the statement released by the two consul generals said.
“As mentioned above, the consul generals of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Mumbai, Ms. Zakia Wardak and acting consul general of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Hyderabad, Mr. Sayad Mohammad Ibrahimkhil, have assumed the leadership of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, New Delhi,” the statement added.
Earlier Friday, the mission in New Delhi in a statement explained that “efforts have been made” to tarnish the mission’s image and “hinder” diplomatic efforts to “justify” the presence of Taliban-appointed diplomats.
“As of now, there are no diplomats from the Afghan Republic remaining in India. Those who served the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan have safely reached third countries. The only individuals present in India are diplomats affiliated with the Taliban,” the mission said in its statement earlier Friday.
The embassy had requested the ministry of external affairs (MEA) to assume custodial responsibility of the diplomatic mission properties, vehicles and $5,00,000 present in the bank accounts of the mission.
On 1 October, the ambassador of Afghanistan Farid Mamundzay — currently living in London — announced the closure of the embassy due to a lack of support from the host government, among other reasons.
ThePrint was the first to break the story of the Afghan embassy’s intention to close after it sacked its local staff a few days before Mamundzay’s announcement.
ThePrint reached both Wardak and Ibrahimkhil via text and calls, but received no response. This report will be updated if and when a response is received.
Also read: ‘Lack of support from host govt’ — Afghan embassy’s 3 main reasons for shutting down operations
‘Ignore former Afghan diplomats’
The statement by the two consul generals urged everyone to “ignore” the “unprofessional and irresponsible communications” issued by the former Afghan diplomats who are abroad and have nothing to do with the embassy.
“Urge everyone to kindly ignore and disregard the unprofessional and irresponsible communications issued by the former Afghan diplomats who are abroad and therefore, now onwards, have no locus standi in the internal affairs of the embassy in New Delhi,” the statement said.
“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 Afghan nationals,” the statement added.
Wardak and Ibrahimkhil urged the former diplomats to not “use” the official social media accounts in regards to the embassy of Afghanistan in India and also asserted that they are in touch with the MEA over the “shortage of diplomatic and official staff.”
As ThePrint reported earlier, a no-objection certificate (NOC) was given by the MEA to the last Afghan diplomat in the embassy on 20 November to exit India. The diplomat and their family left India on 22 November to a third country.
The issue over the embassy first began five months ago, when the Taliban appointed Qadir Shah, the trade counsellor as its ambassador. Shah attempted to take over the embassy in Mamundzay’s absence but failed and was later disallowed to enter the premises, as reported by ThePrint earlier.
Throughout this power struggle, the MEA maintained the stance that the embassy’s closure is an “internal matter.”
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
Also read: Afghan embassy in Delhi to close down in next 2 days? ‘Letter sent to MEA’ days after staff sacked