Afghan Embassy in New Delhi announces permanent closure, citing challenges from Indian gov’t
The Afghan Embassy in New Delhi has announced its permanent closure, citing challenges from the Indian government and a lack of diplomatic support.
The decision, effective Thursday, follows the embassy's earlier move to cease operations on October 1 due to the absence of a recognized government in Kabul.
Despite the hope for a favorable evolution in the Indian government's stance, constant pressure from both the Taliban and the Indian government to relinquish control led to the difficult decision, according to the embassy's press release.
India has not recognized the Taliban government and evacuated its staff from Kabul ahead of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Afghan Embassy in New Delhi, previously run by staff appointed by ousted President Ashraf Ghani, confirmed that there are no diplomats from the Afghan Republic in India, and embassy staff have safely reached third countries.
The Indian External Affairs Ministry has not provided an immediate comment.
“The only individuals present in India are diplomats affiliated with the Taliban,” it said, mentioning that control has been transferred to the Indian government.
“It now rests upon the Indian government to decide the fate of the mission, whether to maintain its closure or consider alternatives, including the possibility of handing it over to Taliban ‘diplomats,’” it said.
The U.N. refugee agency says Afghans account for around one-third of the nearly 40,000 refugees it has registered in India, which doesn’t include those registered through other agencies.
The Afghan embassy said the community in India has significantly declined over the past two years, with refugees, students, and others leaving the country. The number has nearly halved since August 2021, and very limited visas were issued during this period, it said.
