Days after the embassy declared it was closing, the Indian foreign ministry confirmed that the Afghan embassy in New Delhi is still operating.
Despite not recognising the Taliban government in Afghanistan, India has given the ambassador and mission personnel, who were chosen by the administration of deposed Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, permission to manage trade negotiations and issue visas.
The embassy declared last week that it would stop operating in India as of October 1. A number of charges were listed, one of which was that the Indian government had not provided any help.
Rejecting the claims, Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "I don't think they are factually correct".
“Our understanding is that the embassy in New Delhi is functioning," Bagchi told reporters. He added that the foreign ministry had been informed of the embassy's decision to halt operations and was in touch with Afghan diplomats at the embassy and consulates in Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
“We are also aware that there has been a prolonged absence of the ambassador, and that a large number of Afghan diplomats have left India in the recent past,” Bagchi said.