NEW DELHI: Five days after former Ambassador of Afghanistan in India Farid Mamundzay said that the Embassy in Delhi was closed permanently, Afghanistan’s political deputy of foreign affairs Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanakzai on Wednesday declared that it will continue to function.
In an interview on Afghanistan’s national television, Stanakzai said the embassy in Delhi was in contact with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), while the Afghan consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad were also active.
Diplomats of the Afghan Embassy in Delhi have sought asylum in other countries, which is one of the reasons it is in a state of disarray. The Consul General in Mumbai Zakia Wardak has been overseeing the functioning in Delhi.
"We met officials from the MEA and the local staff of the Afghan Embassy in Delhi and have given them the assurance that the embassy will continue to work for the people of Afghanisation," said Wardak in a statement.
The Embassy of Afghanistan had issued a statement on November 24th (the same day that former Ambassador Mamundzay made a statement on its closure) reiterating that it was functional.
"In view of the historical and civilisational ties and friendly relations between India and Afghanistan, we reiterate that we have decided to ensure continued functioning of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in New Delhi, which is the symbol of aspiration and hopes of the Afghan people," said the statement.
The statement also mentioned that there would be consular services for Afghan nationals in Delhi.
"We request everyone to kindly ignore and disregard the unprofessional and irresponsible communications issued by the former Afghan diplomats who are based abroad and therefore now onwards have no locus standi in the internal affairs of the Afghan Embassy in Delhi. Such random fraudulent, baseless and factually incorrect communications are creating panic, distrust and negativity in the overall functioning of the Embassy, as well as against Afghan nationals. Such communications do not represent the wish of Afghans," the statement added.