The Embassy of Afghanistan in New Delhi has refuted reports of a new Chargé d’Affaires in New Delhi.
Qadir Shah, who came to the embassy in March 2020, is currently working as a trade councillor. He had written a letter to India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) claiming that Ambassador Farid Mamundzay is currently out of India on a personal trip and he has been appointed as Chargé d’Affaires until further orders, sources said.
In a statement, the Afghan embassy said the individual who claims to have been named “Chargé 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”.
According to sources, the Taliban has written to the mission 14 times dismissing Afghan Diplomats in Delhi in the last 21 months.
Sources said the Afghan embassy hopes that Qadir Shah’s visa will be cancelled and he will be sent back to Afghanistan.
The mission said appreciated the consistent position of the Indian government in supporting the interests of the Afghan people and not recognizing the Taliban regime in Kabul.
The embassy said that it is committed to protecting the genuine interests of the Afghan nationals, especially in these trying times and has worked closely with the Indian authorities on humanitarian efforts, including the supply of covid-19 vaccines, medicines and food supplies.