“The embassy has experienced a notable absence of crucial support from the host government, which has hindered our ability to carry out our duties effectively,” the Afghan embassy said in a press statement.

“The lack of timely and sufficient support from visa renewal for diplomats to other critical areas of cooperation led to an understandable frustration among our team and impeded our ability to carry out routine duties effectively,” it added.

India’s foreign ministry disputed the allegations. Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a press conference that the statements of the Afghan embassy were not borne out by the facts. He also said that the embassy remained functional.

“Our understanding is that the (Afghan) embassy in New Delhi is functioning or continuing to function. We are in touch with the Afghan diplomats at the embassy as well as [those in] the consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad,” he said.

This comes after several months of tension over the status of Afghanistan’s diplomatic representation in India. The embassy in Delhi represents the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the government of the country that fell to Taliban forces in 2021. Since then, the Taliban has ruled the country as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. India has not recognised the Taliban regime in Kabul, although it maintains a technical team in the country.

Even as reports of the embassy’s impending closure emerged, the consul-general in Mumbai announced that the consulate would remain functional. In its official statement, the embassy in New Delhi accused these consulates of serving the interests of an “illegitimate” regime.

Bagchi also touched on the ongoing diplomatic row between India and Canada. He re-iterated India’s call for parity in the strength of the diplomatic missions of the two countries. This, he acknowledged, would reduce the strength of Canadian missions in India. However, he did not comment on questions about the specific number of Canadian diplomats leaving the country. He also chose not to go into details regarding the difficulties such a reduction would create for Indian students and professionals seeking Canadian visas.

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Updated: 05 Oct 2023, 06:31 PM IST