NEW DELHI: The appointment of an envoy by the Taliban has brought India into a peculiar situation with the Afghan ambassador who has held the fort until now, Farid Mamundzayand other diplomats appointed by Ashraf Ghani’s former government who have refused to step down from their posts.
The embassy in a statement on Monday blamed the Taliban’s choice Qadir Shah to spread disinformation and wage an unfounded and baseless campaign against the mission. Shah he had worked as a trade adviser at the embassy when he was reappointed charge d’affaires by the Taliban.
In the first public confirmation of the Taliban’s move to appoint an envoy to India, its Doha political bureau chief Suhail Shaheen told TOI, reported Monday, that it was a rational decision that would pave the way for better ties with the Taliban. India. Shah, however, has apparently been denied entry into the embassy since he was reappointed.
Caught in a vicious circle, the Indian government has yet to reveal its hand on the matter even though, as reports from Kabul revealed on Monday, the Taliban’s foreign ministry issued an order weeks ago – on April 25 – replacing the ambassador with your charge d’affaires. India had extremely close ties to the Ghani government but, without endorsing Kabul’s dispensation, it also sought to involve the Taliban, particularly in the form of aid diplomacy which saw it supply over 40,000 tonnes of grain to Afghanistan and also reopening its embassy.
While rejecting the claim of Shah, who had previously written to the MEA stating that he is taking up the post of charge d’affaires, the embassy also appreciated the Indian government’s “consistent” stance in upholding the interests of the people in its statement. Afghanistan, while at the same time “does not recognize the Taliban regime in Kabul, as has been the case with democratic governments around the world”. He said the embassy has been working closely with Indian authorities on humanitarian issues, including the supply of Covid-19 vaccines, medicines and food.
The decision to appoint its own envoy here is in line with the efforts of the Taliban, bypassing the lack of international recognition of the dispensation in Kabul, to take control of an ever-increasing number of Afghan embassies around the world. In March of this year, a Taliban spokesman reportedly said that the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” had sent diplomats to 14 countries – including Russia, Iran, China, Turkey and Pakistan – and that efforts were underway to assume responsibility of other diplomatic missions.
These efforts have met with limited success, however, as the international community remains wary of recognizing the government in Kabul, including due to a Taliban crackdown that has seen them block employment and education for women and girls.
The embassy in a statement on Monday blamed the Taliban’s choice Qadir Shah to spread disinformation and wage an unfounded and baseless campaign against the mission. Shah he had worked as a trade adviser at the embassy when he was reappointed charge d’affaires by the Taliban.
In the first public confirmation of the Taliban’s move to appoint an envoy to India, its Doha political bureau chief Suhail Shaheen told TOI, reported Monday, that it was a rational decision that would pave the way for better ties with the Taliban. India. Shah, however, has apparently been denied entry into the embassy since he was reappointed.
Caught in a vicious circle, the Indian government has yet to reveal its hand on the matter even though, as reports from Kabul revealed on Monday, the Taliban’s foreign ministry issued an order weeks ago – on April 25 – replacing the ambassador with your charge d’affaires. India had extremely close ties to the Ghani government but, without endorsing Kabul’s dispensation, it also sought to involve the Taliban, particularly in the form of aid diplomacy which saw it supply over 40,000 tonnes of grain to Afghanistan and also reopening its embassy.
While rejecting the claim of Shah, who had previously written to the MEA stating that he is taking up the post of charge d’affaires, the embassy also appreciated the Indian government’s “consistent” stance in upholding the interests of the people in its statement. Afghanistan, while at the same time “does not recognize the Taliban regime in Kabul, as has been the case with democratic governments around the world”. He said the embassy has been working closely with Indian authorities on humanitarian issues, including the supply of Covid-19 vaccines, medicines and food.
The decision to appoint its own envoy here is in line with the efforts of the Taliban, bypassing the lack of international recognition of the dispensation in Kabul, to take control of an ever-increasing number of Afghan embassies around the world. In March of this year, a Taliban spokesman reportedly said that the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” had sent diplomats to 14 countries – including Russia, Iran, China, Turkey and Pakistan – and that efforts were underway to assume responsibility of other diplomatic missions.
These efforts have met with limited success, however, as the international community remains wary of recognizing the government in Kabul, including due to a Taliban crackdown that has seen them block employment and education for women and girls.
