Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs of India, said that “my understanding is that the embassy in New Delhi is functioning or continuing to function.”
This comes as the Afghan embassy in New Delhi said in a statement late September that it is ceasing its activities on October 1, 2023.
Bagchi said the Indian External Ministry is in touch with the Afghan diplomats “who are there in the embassy, as well as with the Afghan diplomats who are in consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad.”
“However, we received communication last week … from the embassy, indicating that it intends to suspend operations at the end of September … of course such a decision is an internal matter of foreign mission,” Bagchi said. “On our part, we will continue with our efforts to assist the people of Afghanistan.”
The Consul General of Afghanistan in Hyderabad, Zakia Wardak, and acting Consul General of Afghanistan in Mumbai, Sayed Mohammad Ibrahimkhil, met with senior officials of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on October 3, 2023, according to a joint declaration of the consulates, which was shared by Zakia Wardak.
The statement gave details of meetings between the Afghan Consuls General and Indian officials:
– The Indian government will not close the Afghan embassy in New Delhi and both consulates will remain functional and continue their operations for the benefit of Afghan nationals.
– The Indian government assured continued humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.
The declaration also criticized an “assertion” by Afghan ambassador in New Delhi Farid Mamundzai, saying that the Consulates General “unequivocally disavow and seek to clarify the assertion made by Mamundzai concerning the alleged closure of the Consulates General and other related allegations” and “it is crucial to note that Ambassador Farid Mamundzai has been absent from the Embassy for an extended period, and these decisions have been undertaken without prior consultation or consensus with the leadership of the Consulates General in Mumbai and Hyderabad.”
“These decisions appear to be motivated by personal and internal matters within the embassy,” the statement said.
Political analysts suggested that the Islamic Emirate should pursue the issue to find a solution for it.
“The continuation of the support of India from the Afghan diplomats have solved the concerns regarding the closure of Afghanistan’s embassy in India,” said Nisar Ahmad Sherzai, political analyst.
“The Foreign Ministry of India put forward two choices for the Afghan diplomats. One of them was to engage with the Taliban and accept the envoys of the Taliban,” said Sayed Noorullah Raghi, a former Afghan diplomat.
The Islamic Emirate has yet to comment in this regard but earlier said that the Foreign Ministry seeks a solution for the ongoing chaos in the Afghan embassy in India.
The Afghanistan embassy in its statement named the “key factors” affecting its ability to continue its mission effectively as “lack of support from the host government, failure to meet expectations in serving Afghanistan’s Interests.”
