The Afghan embassy in New Delhi — headed by a pre-Taliban takeover ambassador — formally announced its closure shortly after midnight on Sunday, citing a "lack of support from the host government" (India) and resources.
The embassy and ambassador Farid Mamundzay posted a three-page statement on their respective social media handles in which they also confirmed the authenticity of the note verbale (NV) of September 25 to the external affairs ministry which has been floating online since Thursday. The ministry had not commented officially on the post-midnight statement issued by the Afghan mission till late Sunday evening.
Top-most of the three reasons cited for the closure in the media statement is the lack of support from India. "The embassy has experienced a notable absence of crucial support (including diplomatic) from the host government, which has hindered our ability to carry out our duties effectively." This had been articulated in greater detail in the NV which also cited at least 10 such previous communications with the ministry that had remained unattended; particularly after India stationed a technical team at the Indian mission in Kabul from June 2022. India, as of date, does not have diplomatic relations with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
The Afghan consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad, however, appear to be charting their own course — purportedly under instruction from Taliban-controlled Kabul. While the consul general of the Mumbai mission Zakia Wardak had made a public announcement of disagreement with the September 25 NV from the Delhi mission informing India about the decision to close from October 1, the latest media statement from the embassy refers to both consulates.
"The embassy also acknowledges 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…. 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 embassy in Delhi has been operational for 22 years, opening office after India resumed diplomatic ties with Afghanistan following the removal of the Taliban regime in 2001 as a result of the US-led war on terror. As a consequence of the closure, all the properties and facilities of the embassy will be transferred to the custodial authority of India as the host country in accordance with Article 45 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
