ISLAMABAD: The Taliban-appointed ‘diplomats’ have taken charge of the Afghan embassy and consulates in Pakistan, according to officials familiar with the development.

Sardar Muhammad Shokaib has started working as the first secretary in the Afghan embassy in Islamabad.

Hafiz Mohibullah, Mullah Ghulam Rasool and Mullah Muhammad Abbas have been assigned to the Peshawar, Quetta, and Karachi consulates of Afghanistan.

Shokaib would effectively be the Afghan charge d’affaires in Islamabad.

FO spokesperson points to refugees, visa issues

The Afghan embassy in Islamabad, it may be recalled, has been without an ambassador since July when the last envoy under the previous regime Najibullah Alikhil left because of alleged abduction of his daughter Silsila Alikhil and the ensuing controversy.

According to Voice of America, Taliban members who know Shokaib say he is an ethnic Pashtun from Zabul province and has served in the Information and Cultural Department in southern Kandahar and was associated with a Taliban magazine. He once worked as the Taliban spokesman under the name of Qari Yousaf Ahmadi and was arrested in Pakistan and later lived in Peshawar for several years.

Meanwhile, officials posted to the consulates would function as the consul general.

Although Pakistan does not recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government, but it still issued visas to the appointed ‘diplomats’.

“With regard to appointment of new staff in the Afghan Embassy, this is an administrative matter and is meant to enable the Embassy to perform its functions, primarily the consular functions as you are aware there are millions of Afghan refugees in Pakistan and there are visa issues as well,” Foreign Office spokesman Asim Iftikhar said.

Another official, meanwhile, contended that facilitating issuance of visas does not mean recognition.

Reuters quoted a senior Taliban leader as having said: “We understand that Pakistan has not yet recognised us as a legitimate government but we made these arrangements for public facilitations.”

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2021