Afghan embassy in India shut down as top diplomats get asylum in US, Europe

Afghan embassy in India has ceased all activities and several top diplomats have left the country for Europe and the United States, where they have been granted asylum, embassy staffers revealed on Friday.

After the Taliban seized power in 2021, India closed its own embassy in Kabul but still allowed the ambassador and mission staff chosen by the Western-backed administration of deposed Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to handle trade matters. 

India does not recognise the Taliban government.

The embassy officials said that at least five Afghan diplomats have departed India. One of the Afghan officials announced that the Indian government would now assume caretaking responsibility for the embassy complex.

When asked about the situation, a representative of the Indian foreign ministry in New Delhi said they were looking into the developments but did not provide any further information.

Taliban representatives in Kabul were unavailable for comment right away.

One of the dozen nations maintaining a modest representation in Kabul is India, which helps with trade, humanitarian aid, and medical assistance. Trade between the two countries in 2019–2020 was $1.5 billion, although it immediately declined after the Taliban government entered office.

A protest was held in New Delhi earlier this month by hundreds of Afghan college students who are still residing in India despite the fact that their student visas had expired to call for the extension of their stay.