Taliban ‘set to seize Delhi embassy’ as Afghan mission to India announces permanent closure

Embassy’s closure marks end of 22 years of Afghan Republic’s diplomatic presence in India

People stand outside the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi (Associated Press)

Afghanistan announced that it was permanently shutting down its Delhi embassy on Friday due to lack of support from prime minister Narendra Modi’s administration.

The Afghan embassy said in a statement that the decision to close the mission fell in line with the previous announcement of ceasing operations from 1 October when it had pointed out the lack of support from India and no legitimate administration in Kabul.

The earlier decision came “in the hope that the Indian government’s stance would evolve favourably for the normal continuation of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan” in the Indian capital.

However, the mission’s ambassador to India, Farid Mamundzay, said that exit of the envoys picked by the Ashraf Ghani administration can see the Taliban and New Delhi forging ties.

“As the Afghan Republic’s mission in India closes its doors, marking the end of a golden era, the Taliban will now seize the only strategic capital beyond their control for over two years,” he told The Independent on Friday.

“The cooperation between Taliban with New Delhi unfolds an ironic chapter, highlighting how alliances built on self-interest undermine shared democratic values,” he said, referring to lack of solidarity India exhibited towards the democratically elected Afghanistan administration which was ousted by the Taliban in August 2021.

These alliances (New Delhi and Taliban) based on short sighted merits jeopardise long-term regional stability, Mr Mamundzay added. The ambassador has previously voiced concerns about the lack of diplomatic support seen from India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

However, on Friday, the statement shared by him said the Afghan embassy was faced with a difficult choice due to “constant pressure from both the Taliban and the Indian government to relinquish control”.

"As of now, there are no diplomats from the Afghan Republic remaining in India. Those who served the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan have safely reached third countries. The only individuals present in India are diplomats affiliated with the Taliban, visibly attending their regular online meetings,” the embassy’s statement said.

It added the outgoing diplomats of the Afghan Republic have now “handed over the mission solely to the Indian government”.

“It now rests upon the Indian government to decide the fate of the mission, whether to maintain its closure or consider alternatives, including the possibility of handing it over to the Taliban ‘diplomats’,” the embassy said.

The Independent has reached out to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs for a comment.

The Afghan Embassy in New Delhi was run by staff appointed by the previous government of ousted Afghan president Ghani, with permission from Indian authorities but was frequently running into financial and diplomatic strains due to no support from Kabul after the Taliban took over. The embassy’s closure marked the end of 22 years of Afghan Republic’s diplomatic presence in India.

India has, however, not rejected the attempts made by the Taliban’s Amir Khan Muttaqi-run Foreign Affairs ministry to establish diplomatic ties with India.

Delhi will follow the lead of the United Nations in deciding whether to recognise the Taliban government, Indian officials have said.