A tussle has broken out at the Afghan embassy in India for control of the mission, which has been functioning with staff appointed by the previous regime even after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021.

The figures at the centre of the tussle are both appointees of the Ashraf Ghani government – ambassador Farid Mamundzay and trade counsellor Qadir Shah.

Shah, according to letters doing the rounds on social media, has the confidence of the Taliban government in Kabul. But Mamundzay has dug his heels in, insisting that India recognises him alone as the Afghan ambassador.

Amu Television on Sunday reported that embassy employees had jointly refused to welcome the Taliban government’s decision to pick Shah to lead the mission in India.

The report included a copy of a letter issued purportedly by the Afghan foreign ministry asking Mamundzay to return to Kabul, and a second communication announcing Shah’s appointment as the chargé d’affaires (CDA).

Amid speculation about the Afghan embassy slipping into Taliban hands, Mamundzay issued a statement on Monday afternoon rejecting “the claims from an individual claiming to have taken charge of the mission in New Delhi at the behest of the Taliban”.

“The embassy appreciates the consistent position of the Indian government for supporting the interests of the Afghan people, while at the same time not recognising the Taliban regime in Kabul, as it has been the case with democratic governments around the world,” the statement said.