• Source:JND
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Afghanistan's Consul General in Mumbai announced on Saturday that she will step down from the topmost diplomatic post after she came under heavy criticism for allegedly trying to smuggle 25 kg of gold worth about Rs 18 crore into India from Dubai. Zakia Wardak, the senior-most diplomat of the Taliban-ruled country has taken the call to resign due to "personal attacks and defamation" and a "public narrative unfairly targeting the only female representative within this system".

Wardak was stopped with the gold at Mumbai airport by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in the final week of April. The gold was seized and a case was filed, said the reports. However, she was not detained due to her diplomatic immunity.

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Appointed by the previous Ashraf Ghani government, Zakia Wardak was overseeing Afghanistan's consulate in Mumbai. Notably, even after the forced takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban in 2021, India works with the Ghani-appointed diplomats.

In her statement, Zakia said that she has encountered "numerous personal attacks and defamation" not only towards her but also towards her "close family and extended relatives."

Attacked For Being Only Female Representative Within System

She said that the "persistent and coordinated" attacks were part of the narrative to target the only female representative within the system.

"The persistent and coordinated nature of these attacks, aimed at defaming my character and undermining my efforts, has surpassed a tolerable threshold. It has become increasingly clear that the public narrative is unfairly targeting the only female representative within this system, rather than focusing on constructive assistance and support," she wrote in a statement.

While expressing gratitude towards the government of India, Wardak said, "I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Government of India for their warm welcome and unwavering support during my tenure. It has been a great privilege working alongside the people of India for the past three years. I am grateful for the collaborative efforts and shared vision for progress between our nations."