The embassy of Afghanistan in India halted its activities, marking a suspension that occurred over two years after the removal of the previous government supported by Western nations.
An official statement, posted on X, cited a significant lack of essential support from the host government as a hindrance to their effective duties. The statement expressed deep sadness, regret, and disappointment regarding this decision to cease operations, which takes immediate effect.
Although New Delhi doesn’t officially recognize the Taliban government that came to power in 2021, it has allowed the Afghan embassy to function with the ambassador and mission staff appointed by former president Ashraf Ghani, who left Kabul during the U.S. troop withdrawal.
The statement highlighted the increasing challenges they faced due to staff and resource reductions, including issues with timely and sufficient support for visa renewals for diplomats.
There have been reports of the ambassador and other senior diplomats leaving India in recent months, along with internal conflicts among those remaining in New Delhi. However, the statement firmly denied any baseless claims of internal strife among embassy staff and rejected suggestions that diplomats were using the crisis to seek asylum in another country. It also mentioned that India would assume caretaker control of the embassy.
