KABUL, AFGHANISTAN — The UK government is preparing to close the Afghanistan embassy in London, according to a diplomatic source.
The source informed KabulNow that Afghan diplomats have been instructed to hand the embassy to the UK government by the end of September. Additionally, the UK government has advised Afghan diplomats to either depart the UK or seek political asylum.
The UK has stated it will not transfer the embassy to the Taliban, the source said.
British officials have not yet commented on the situation.
In related developments, Taliban Prime Minister Hassan Akhund has ordered the dismissal of twelve Afghan ambassadors and consuls across Europe, the UK, Canada, and Australia. He has also directed that their passports be rendered invalid.
The Taliban Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recently declared the consular services of diplomatic missions in London, Belgium, Berlin, Bonn, Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, Greece, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Canada, and Australia invalid.
These missions remain under the control of diplomats from the former Afghan government, which the Taliban overthrew in the summer of 2021.
The Taliban Ministry of Foreign Affairs claims to have repeatedly requested these missions to engage with it on consular matters, but these requests have been refused.
Since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, no country has officially recognized them as the legitimate government. However, many neighboring and regional countries have either kept their embassies operational or reopened diplomatic missions in Afghanistan.
Russia, China, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, and India are among the nations that have maintained or reinstated diplomatic presence in the country.
