From John Nelson
KABUL: The Afghan embassy in India took a significant step on Friday by suspending all of its operations, followed by the departure of the Afghan ambassador and several high-ranking diplomats, who sought asylum in Europe and the United States.
It’s noteworthy that India does not officially recognise the Taliban government and had shuttered its own embassy in Kabul when the Taliban assumed power in 2021.
Despite this, New Delhi had allowed the ambassador and mission staff, appointed during the Western-backed government led by former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, to continue handling visa issuance and trade affairs.
As per embassy officials, at least five Afghan diplomats have left India. Consequently, the Indian government is set to take over the diplomatic premises in a caretaker capacity, according to one of the Afghan officials.
Meanwhile, the Indian foreign ministry is examining these developments, although they have not provided specific details.
The Taliban authorities in Kabul have yet to comment on this situation. India maintained a small mission in Kabul, primarily aimed at facilitating trade, humanitarian aid, and medical assistance.
Bilateral trade between India and Afghanistan, which reached $1.5 billion in 2019-2020, saw a significant decline after the Taliban assumed governance.
In a related context, earlier this month, hundreds of Afghan college students who were residing in India despite the expiration of their student visas staged a demonstration in New Delhi, appealing to the Indian government for an extension of their stay.
