New Delhi, Nov 24 (EFE).- The Afghan embassy on Friday announced its permanent closure due to a lack of support from India, more than 27 months after the Taliban Islamist militia seized power in Kabul without being recognized by any country.
The embassy had earlier announced a temporary cessation of its operations in the Indian capital as the mission did not have support either from India or from the Taliban-led foreign ministry in Kabul.
“The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in New Delhi regrets to announce the permanent closure of its diplomatic mission in New Delhi, effective Nov. 23, 2023, owing to persistent challenges from the Indian government,” a statement from the embassy posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, said.
The embassy in New Delhi was one of the few missions of the former US-backed Afghan government, ousted after the Taliban stormed to power in Kabul on August 15, 2021.
Then-President Ashraf Ghani relinquished power and fled, causing the Afghan government to collapse.
The embassy had, for more than two years, been functioning independently in New Delhi.
It temporarily ceased operations on Oct. 1 due to the lack of support from the host government and the shortage of resources and personnel.
Ever since the embassy has waited for the Indian government’s stance to be more favorable towards it and extend diplomatic visas to Afghan officials.
The embassy, like other institutions of the deposed government, was left without resources and lacked recognition of the de facto Taliban government in Afghanistan.
“We firmly believe that the decision to close the mission in India at this stage and to transfer the custody authority of the mission to the host country is in the best interest of Afghanistan,” the embassy statement said.
It asked the Indian foreign ministry to “fulfill its obligations and responsibilities” regarding the custody of its properties, which it hoped would be handed over to a legitimate government designated by the Afghan people in the future.
The statement said diplomats from Afghanistan had left India and “safely arrived in third countries.”
It specified that only Taliban-affiliated diplomats were present in the country.
According to the Afghan mission, the number of Afghans in India has almost halved since the Taliban came to power due to visa limitations.
The Indian government has yet to comment. EFE
hbc-up-ssk
