“The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in London is to be officially closed and will cease to function completely on 27 September 2024.” Ambassador Zalmay Rasool
Dr. Akhtar Gulfam Director News Dawn TV + Daily Dawn
London: The British government has asked the Afghan embassy in London to close its diplomatic mission. The British government has informed Afghanistan’s ambassador Zalmay Rasool of its decision.
Zalmay Rasool then said in a statement, “The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in London is to be officially closed and will cease its operations completely on September 27, 2024 at the official request of the host country.”
In this regard, he added in his post on Social Media X, “This decision has been taken based on the needs of the host country authorities. We are grateful to all the colleagues, citizens and related institutions, who have supported us during this period. Sincerely cooperated with the Afghan Embassy in London during
The British government’s decision came shortly after the Afghan Taliban’s Foreign Ministry announced that it would no longer recognize consular documents issued by Afghan diplomatic missions in several Western countries.
Taliban rulers have accused these embassies of operating independently and said they do not follow orders from Kabul. Among these 14 embassies of Western countries, one embassy in London is also included.
However, the Taliban exempted the Afghan diplomatic missions in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain, saying that these embassies maintain ties with the government in Kabul and act according to the government’s intentions.
About a dozen embassies are still run by diplomats appointed by Afghanistan’s former government and, because of their lack of international recognition, refuse to obey the orders of the current Taliban government.
It should be noted that since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021, many Afghan embassies have either been handed over to the Taliban or have begun to follow orders from Kabul and the country’s embassies. The orders of the Taliban rulers have not been followed, they have been closed.
According to reports, many of these embassies have also resisted Taliban rule and are facing financial difficulties due to operating independently.
It should be noted that despite being in power for three years, the Taliban government in Afghanistan has not yet been recognized by the international community.
However, some countries, including Russia, China, and Pakistan, have handed over their embassies to Taliban-appointed diplomats, but most Western countries, including the United States, have refused to do so.
The shutdown follows a recent announcement by the interim Afghan Taliban government that invalidates documents issued by 14 embassies, including one in London.
Dozens of these embassies are still run by ambassadors appointed by Afghanistan’s former government and refuse to obey the orders of the current Taliban government due to their lack of international recognition.
According to reports, many of these embassies have been operating in an autonomous capacity in opposition to the Taliban government, and have also faced a reduction in financial support.
A report published by Foreign Policy magazine last year stated that diplomats working in these embassies, many of whom are Western-educated, have spent decades building Afghanistan’s institutions since 2001. Now they are stuck in foreign countries and suffer from despair, depression, and helplessness.
