Power struggle for control of Afghan embassy in India amid reports Taliban has taken over

Afghan embassy in Delhi rejects power shift taking place ‘at behest of Taliban’

Security personnel stand guard outside Afghanistan embassy in New Delhi (AFP via Getty Images)

A power tussle between the Taliban and officials from the former Ashraf Ghani administration has taken a new turn after the latter resisted the militant group’s attempts to take charge of Afghanistan’s embassy in New Delhi.

Farid Mamundzay, the Afghan ambassador to India who assumed his position under the country’s former Western-backed administration in 2020, rejected the Taliban’s attempt to install a “chargé d’affaires” on Monday.

“The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan categorically rejects the claims from an individual claiming to have taken charge of the mission in New Delhi at the behest of the Taliban,” the embassy said in a press statement.

The comment from the embassy comes amid reports from Afghanistan claiming the Taliban appointed its trade counsellor Mohammad Qadir Shah as an acting envoy to New Delhi. An unsigned document shared by Tolo news accused three envoys, including Mr Mamundzay, of “corruption” over a rent agreement with an Indian firm.

Mr Shah is a member of the existing envoy’s team and looks after trade, becoming the representative for import and export affairs between Delhi and Kabul. India counts as Afghanistan’s second largest hub for exports after Pakistan.

“The individual who claims to have been named ‘charge d’affaires’ by the Taliban has been responsible for spreading misinformation and running a baseless and unsubstantiated campaign against officials of the mission, including totally fabricated allegations of corruption based on an unsigned letter,” the press statement said, adding that the diplomatic mission continues to function as normal and working for the interests of Afghan nationals in India.

Mr Mamundzay, an official from the administration now in exile, underlined New Delhi’s “consistent position” for supporting the interests of the Afghan people while not recognising the caretaker Taliban regime in Kabul at the same time, “as has been the case with democratic governments around the world”.

The Indian government’s Ministry of External Affairs termed the tussle a domestic matter for Afghanistan which needs to be settled among the representatives, reported The Indian Express.

The Independent has reached out to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan embassy in New Delhi for a comment.

No international administration has officially recognised the leaders from the hardline Islamist group as Afghanistan’s de facto rulers.

Most nations have also refused to allow the Taliban to set up embassies on their soil.

New Delhi has also refused to officially recognise Taliban’s envoy and attempt to set up its own official at the embassy headquarters.

Taliban has about 14 missions across the world, including in Pakistan, Iran, Russia, Qatar and Turkmenistan and has been seeking more control abroad.