Two years after unceremoniously ousting the US-backed government in Kabul, the Taliban has taken de facto control of diplomatic missions in India, claims a report. Taliban deputy foreign minister Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai in a TV interview said their consulates were functioning in Mumbai and Hyderabad and were in contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reported HT. He further said that the embassy, which closed last week, will also reopen in the next few days.
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Afghan Embassy on November 25 said Afghanistan has no diplomatic representation in India as of November 23.
"Neighbourhood first policy: We, the former Afghan diplomats want to set the record straight: As of Nov 23, there is no Afghan diplomat representing the former Republic in India. Those with ties to the Taliban are aligning themselves with Taliban and also Delhi's interests," the post on the Afghan Embassy in India's official handle reads.
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The embassy further noted that this step might be portrayed as a ramification of internal conflict allegedly involving diplomats who switched allegiance to the Taliban, adding "that this decision is a result of broader changes in policy and interests".
Notably, India hasn’t yet recognised the Taliban government. Indian diplomatic officials were called back from Kabul two years back when the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021. India has said it will follow the lead of the United Nations in deciding whether to recognize the Taliban government.