ROME: Police were called to Afghanistan’s delegacy in Rome this week after a sacked Afghan diplomat claiming ties to the Taliban attacked the minister, the charge said.
Numerous of Afghanistan’s delegacies is in political limbo, with staff still pious to the Western-backed government stumbled by the Taliban last August.
The Taliban haven’t appointed new representatives to utmost operations, still, and their government isn’t recognized by any nation.
In a statement published on social media on Tuesday, the Rome delegacy said a diplomat — appointed by the former Afghan government but lately dismissed — returned to the charge before that day, claiming he’d been named minister by the Taliban.
“ Latterly he attacked the minister in the presence of a delegacy hand but the minister defended himself and called the Italian police,” read the statement, written in the Dari language.
It named the dismissed diplomat as Mohammad Fahim Kashaf, saying he lost his job due to “ lack of commitment to public values and the values of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan”.
Police attended Kashaf — who had been with his child — eschewal of the delegacy, while the minister was unharmed, it said.
The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is the United Nations-recognised name of the country, which the Taliban call the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
An Afghan politic source said Kashaf had “ switched fidelity” to the Taliban, and had been “ beaten up” by his former associates.
The Rome delegacy didn’t return a telephone call and dispatch seeking comment.
Police in Rome said a “ misreading” had taken place at the delegacy but handed no further details.
The Taliban’s foreign ministry in Kabul denied Kashaf been appointed minister, but also said he hadn’t been dismissed.
It said records showed Kashaf was appointed the first clerk at the delegacy in December 2020, with a contract valid until December coming time.
“ Our records show that he continues to be a diplomat and his contract hadn’t been terminated,” said foreign ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi in a statement.
“ But the ministry has also not appointed him as minister of the Afghan delegacy in Rome. Kashaf’s contract is valid and his termination is illegal.” There has also been a political standoff at the UN, with representatives of the former and current governance both claiming Afghanistan’s seat.
Late last time the UN Security Council indefinitely held up making a decision on the matter.
