Afghan Ambassador to China gives account of embassy baggage and leaves

Afghanistan's ambassador to China, Javid Ahmad Qaim, stepped down last week after not receiving a salary for months.

Javid Ahmed Qaim and the rest of the diplomats of the Afghan Embassy in Beijing were not getting their salaries ever since the command of Afghanistan came to the Taliban.

Qaim posted a handover letter on Twitter on Monday. The date of this letter is January 1.

Qaim said in this letter that several diplomats have already left the Afghan embassy in Beijing. Qaim told that he was not getting his salary since August last year.

A small part of China's border is connected with Afghanistan. Since the arrival of the Taliban in August, China has sent many consignments of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.

Qaim wrote in his handover letter, "I have spoken on the phone many times. I am relinquishing the post of ambassador from January 2. Looking at the situation and restrictions, I do not know when I will be able to come to the office. That's why I am posting the handover letter so that another ambassador can come to the Afghanistan Embassy in Beijing without any complications.

'Available on Zoom Calls'

"We divided the Afghan mission in Beijing into political, economic, cultural, educational, trade, military, and administrative sections. There are separate rooms in the embassy for all the sections. All the documents of previous work are in the office. Apart from this, documents related to what has happened recently and what should happen now are also in the office. Despite this, if there is any confusion, I will be available on Zoom call.

"The diplomats who were appointed by the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan did not want to stay here after August 15, 2021. That's why many people had already left China. I think if the new ambassador Sadat comes to Beijing, there will be no diplomat here.

a million dollars and five cars

Qaim has written, "We were not getting a salary for the last six months. During this time, we had formed a committee among the diplomats to solve the economic crisis. We had money in the bank for living and other expenses. We used this money in those days. We were not able to pay salaries to the staff but used to give some money so that they could spend in Beijing.

Qim wrote in this letter, "Today is January 1, 2022, and there are about one million dollars left in the account. There is money in some other account also. I am sending a separate sheet, which will contain all the details of the account. There are five cars in the embassy. All the cars are in the parking lot in front of the main building. Car keys are in the office. There are two old cars in these and they need repair.

China praised

He further wrote, "I have paid the salary of the local staff till January 22 this month and their work is over now."

"I have only one staff at the reception so that Mr. Sadat will find someone when he comes. Miss Xiao Li will meet at the reception. I have locked the embassy's offices and houses. Only the reception is open. I put the key in Beijing in Qatar. Have left it with the embassy. I have also prepared the asset list here of seven pages and will send it to Kabul. I have also informed the Chinese Foreign Ministry about this.

According to the news agency Reuters, the Foreign Ministry of Afghanistan has not yet commented on this.

However, on Tuesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a daily press conference that Javid Ahmed Qaim had left China for personal reasons.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said, "We appreciate Qaim's efforts to improve relations between the two countries during his tenure." China has always been an advocate of maintaining cordial relations with Afghanistan.

No country, including China, has yet recognized the Taliban. Since the arrival of the Taliban, the people of Afghanistan are facing a humanitarian crisis due to the economic crisis.

The bad condition of the Embassy of Afghanistan in Delhi too

A report was published in the English newspaper The Hindu on 18 December that the Afghan Embassy in Delhi is facing an economic crisis since the arrival of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the ambassadors here are confused about their future.

Farid Mamundzai had come to New Delhi early last year as Afghanistan's ambassador. At present, there are a total of 20 Afghan diplomats in the Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi. But the number of Indian staff has been cut citing economic reasons.

Fareed Mamundzai told The Hindu that he was disappointed with the Indian government because Afghans looking to come to India were not being given enough visas. He had said that the people of Afghanistan hope that India will send more help there in difficult times. Farid had said that there are Afghan missions in 70 countries of the world and no one is getting help from Kabul.