A power struggle is underway at the Afghan embassy in Delhi as Ambassador Farid Mamundzay, appointed by the previous Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, battles to stay on in office in defiance of the Taliban-run Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul. The Taliban regime has so far taken control of about 14 missions abroad where it has posted its own nominees, but Delhi is not yet one of them. But that may be about to change, going by the conflict at the embassy, pitting Mamundzay against another diplomat in his team who has been appointed Charge d'affaires. Aware of the infighting at the embassy that erupted at the end of April, the MEA has not taken sides. Sources said it had conveyed to both sides that it was an internal matter that they needed to settle by themselves, which is being read as a signal that Delhi is open to the idea of a Taliban-appointed diplomat. Matters came to a head on Monday with Mamundzay issuing a press statement saying he “categorically rejects the claims from an individual claiming to have taken charge of the mission in New Delhi at the behest of the Taliban”. Mamundzay said the “individual” who claimed to have been named Charge d'affaires at the embassy by the Taliban was “spreading misinformation and running a baseless and unsubstantiated campaign against officials of the mission, including totally fabricated allegations of corruption based on an unsigned letter”. He was referring to a letter that was published by TOLO News on Sunday by a purported “representative of Afghans based in India” accusing the Ambassador and others at the embassy of “corruption” in a lease agreement. The Indian Express has learnt that the “individual” referred to in Mamundzay's statement is Muhammed Qadir Shah, counsellor at the embassy in-charge of trade. Afghan-India trade picked up after a brief lull following the August 2021 Taliban takeover. India is Afghanistan's second biggest export destination after Pakistan, and an important source of revenue for the cash strapped regime. Shah is the pointman in Delhi for this. Sources at the embassy said that late last month, while Mamundzay was away in London where his family lives in exile, the embassy received communication appointing Shah Charge d'affaires. The sources said that this was not the first email from the Taliban government on staffing and personnel issues, but the embassy, which still flies the flag of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, always ignored them. Shah also appeared to have a copy of the communication putting him in charge. However, his colleagues disputed his claim. One told The Indian Express at the time that the letter was a “fake”, also adding that even if it was genuine, it had no value as the embassy did not take orders from the Kabul regime. Shah conveyed his appointment to the Ministry of External Affairs, the sources said. As head of the Trade division, Shah has also been involved in India's dispatch of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan of wheat and medicines, and works closely with the MEA. When Mamundzay returned to Delhi in early May, he “dismissed” Shah from the embassy, barring him from the premises. Contacted by The Indian Express, Shah said he had done “nothing illegal” and alleged that Mamundzay was trying to politicise the matter to hide the corruption at the embassy. Shah asserted that he was not affiliated to any political party or movement, and is a career bureaucrat. “Unfortunately, from April 29, I have been trying to enter the embassy to show that I am a bureaucrat, not with any political group, but I am not being allowed to do so,” Shah said. He alleged that during Mamundzay's absence, there were complaints by Afghan people in Delhi of corruption by embassy officials. “In a few cases, the Ambassador's name was also mentioned. The same complaints were sent by Afghan people to Kabul as well. Therefore, for the welfare of Afghan people and to ensure there is continuity in providing consular and other services to them, I think, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul sent a communication to the Ambassador and administrative officer of the embassy to appoint a Charge d'affaires who could resolve these issues. This is not a political decision. It is to do with the corruption complaints,” Shah said. He also said that he had learnt from the administrative officer of the embassy that there was a separate communication, recalling Mamundzay to Kabul. Mamundzay was not reachable for confirmation. The infighting began filtering out in the first week of May after Mamundzay brought it up in a weekly Zoom meeting of Afghan ambassadors posted in various capitals who still affiliate themselves to the Islamic Republic rather than the Taliban's Islamic Emirate. Afghan diaspora sources in Delhi believe this could be a prelude to the Taliban taking control of the embassy, and have been following the developments with concern. In March, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the Islamic Emirate had sent diplomats to “at least 14 countries and efforts are underway to take charge of other diplomatic missions abroad”. In other places, Mujahid said the diplomats already in place were continuing to work in coordination with the ministry in Kabul. Other than Pakistan and China, the Taliban regime has sent its envoys, many of them former diplomats who have switched sides, to Iran, Turkey, Qatar, UAE, Russia, Malaysia, Kazakhstan and some other countries. An attempted takeover of the Afghan embassy in Rome by the Taliban-backed diplomat who was posted there as deputy ended in a scuffle, with police arriving and escorting him out. The embassy is still run by the IRA-appointed ambassador. Though no country recognises the Taliban regime, this has not stopped several countries from reopening their embassies in Kabul, and welcoming Taliban appointees at Afghan embassies in their capitals. In June, it will be a year since Delhi sent a technical team to reopen the Indian embassy in Kabul, 10 months after it was shut down and all Indians evacuated in the aftermath of the Taliban takeover. It is learnt that the Taliban regime has informed Delhi that it would like to post its own nominee at its embassy in India, and also floated some names, but has not yet received a clear response. Some sources believe that this may change, and the power struggle at the embassy is a prelude. As of now though, it is Ambassador Mamundzay who has the diplomatic credentials to represent his country.
