Afghan Embassy in Delhi announces permanent closure “owing to persistent challenges from Indian govt”

Afghanistan embassy on Friday announced the permanent closure of its diplomatic mission in New Delhi due to “persistent challenges from the Indian government”, a move made in the hope that the Indian government stance ”will favourably change to let the mission operate normally.”

In a statement, the Afghanistan embassy said that the decision was taken following the “constant pressure from both the Taliban & the Indian government to relinquish control.”

Over the past two years and three months, the Afghan community in India has witnessed a significant decline, with Afghan refugees, students, and traders leaving the country, the embassy noted in its statement, adding that the number has nearly halved since August 2021, with very limited new visas being issued during this period.

The embassy was providing diplomatic support for the Afghans based in India in the “absence of a legitimate government in Kabul”.