What is the Controversy at the Afghan Consulate in Mashhad About?
The Afghan consulate in Mashhad is experiencing turmoil due to conflicts among the Taliban, diplomats of the former government, and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Sources in Mashhad report that the Taliban attempted to send a new consul-general to the city without notifying the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to documents obtained by Afghanistan International, on Tuesday, the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent an official letter summoning Abdul Jaber Ansar, the Afghan Consul-General in Mashhad, to Kabul.
Abdul Jaber Ansar was appointed as the Afghan Consul General in Mashhad in 2019 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
The official letter from the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that since Sunday, May 26, Ansar has been assigned as the Deputy Director of Treaty Affairs for Asia and Africa in the Directorate of Legal and Treaty Affairs within the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Sources from the Afghan consulate in Mashhad informed Afghanistan International that on Monday, May 27, Nasir Ahmad Haqqani, a Taliban member, arrived in Mashhad from Tehran and introduced himself as the new Consul General of Afghanistan in the city.
Haqqani also works as the First Secretary to the Taliban’s ambassador in Tehran.
According to sources, Haqqani intended to take over the responsibilities of the Afghan consulate without the knowledge of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Consequently, Ansar refused to hand over the consulate responsibilities to him and informed Haqqani that any changes at the consulate must be conducted through official channels in accordance with international conventions.
Sources from the Afghan consulate in Mashhad indicated that Ansar's stance was that "anyone replacing the Afghan Consul General must go through diplomatic procedures, with the Taliban first submitting their request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the host country, the Islamic Republic of Iran."
Sources stated that Ansar told the Taliban representatives that any further decisions regarding the new consul general would only be made after the approval of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
What is the Taliban's Stance?
Zakir Jalali, an official from the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, referred to Ansar as the "former Consul General of Afghanistan in Mashhad" on his social media page on Friday, stating that his duties ended "by the order of the Prime Minister”.
Jalali mentioned that a new diplomat would be sent to Mashhad to replace the diplomat from the previous Afghan government. "Until the new diplomat arrives, a diplomat from the Afghan Embassy in Tehran will oversee consulate affairs, and the First Secretary of the consulate will continue providing consular services as an interim measure."
Financial corruption accusations at the Afghan Consulate in Mashhad
In his statement, the Taliban official mentioned that Afghan immigrants in Mashhad "require transparent and standard consular services" and that one of the priorities of the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to “combat administrative corruption”.
Jalali claimed that "during the previous regime, a vast network of administrative corruption was spread from the consular department to overseas missions. After eradicating corruption at the centre, the second phase of eliminating corruption in overseas consular departments is underway."
He directly accused Ansar of being significantly involved in administrative corruption.
"Financial matters of Mashhad consulate under control of the Taliban"
While the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the Afghan Consul General in Mashhad of corruption, sources from this consulate told Afghanistan International that all consular affairs and "income sources of the Mashhad consulate" are currently under the control of the Taliban's appointees.
Sources explained that all revenue sources of the Afghan consulate in Mashhad, including visa issuance, certification, identity verification, passport issuance, and renewal, are managed by four diplomats sent by the Taliban from Kabul to Mashhad.
According to our sources, Maulawi Abdul Sami Samim, Anwar Nabil, and Fazl Rahman Ataee work as secretaries at the consulate, all introduced by the Taliban, and control all financial matters.
In addition to these three, the Taliban have also sent another temporary diplomat named Ashraf Yad to Mashhad. Sources mentioned that the refugee attaché and two cultural affairs staff at the Afghan consulate in Mashhad are also individuals hired and sent by the Taliban from Kabul.
The Afghan consulate in Mashhad has a total of 64 local employees. In this diplomatic office, besides the seven Taliban envoys, two diplomats from the previous Afghan government are still working.
A source from the Afghan consulate in Mashhad told Afghanistan International that the Taliban use accusations of administrative corruption as a tool to remove professional and experienced consulate staff and replace them with their own appointees.
According to consulate sources, the Afghan consulate in Mashhad is the only diplomatic representation of Afghanistan in Iran where all financial matters are conducted through the ATM banking system instead of money exchanges.
Meanwhile, sources sent official documents to Afghanistan International indicating that Mohammad Musa Amiri, the head of financial and administrative affairs at the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "commended Ansar's responsibility" in his official letters.
Sources questioned Jalali's allegations, stating, "If the Taliban's intention behind the consulate changes was to fight corruption and Ansar was involved in corruption, then why did the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs appoint him as the “Deputy Director of Treaty Affairs for Asia and Africa in the Directorate of Legal and Treaty Affairs within the ministry?"
What is the position of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs?
Statements from the spokesperson of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicate that Iran has not yet approved the change of the Afghan Consul General in Mashhad.
Nasser Kanaani, the spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced in a press conference in Tehran on Thursday, that on the May 18, during a meeting between the Taliban's chargé d'affaires in Tehran and the Director-General of South Asia Affaires at the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, necessary explanations were provided for the appointment of the new Afghan Consul General in Mashhad.
The spokesperson of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that any changes to the Afghan consulate staff in Mashhad must comply with the 1963 Vienna Convention.
Kanaani explained that new individuals "must be introduced to the host government through defined channels and, after obtaining the host government's agreement and receiving visas, enter the host country for the designated mission and commence their specified duties”.
The spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the necessary explanations have also been communicated to the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials through various channels.
Andrei Belousov, recently appointed by Vladimir Putin as Russia's Defence Minister, has called for increased security measures along the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border.
He described Afghanistan as the principal source of instability in Central Asia, stating, "We are on the frontline."
Belousov spoke at the 83rd meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation's (CSTO) Defence Council in Almaty on Friday.
According to a statement from the Russian Ministry of Defence, he highlighted the continuous threat posed by numerous radical groups within Afghanistan which are intensifying their efforts to propagate their ideologies in neighbouring republics.
The Defence Minister warned of the threat of terrorist groups expanding beyond Afghan borders and emphasised on the necessity of constant vigilance and timely actions to stabilise the region, particularly along the Tajik-Afghan border.
Belousov also stressed on the importance of enhancing military coherence and combat readiness of Russian and Tajik forces stationed in the area. He referred to Russia's Base 201 in Tajikistan, which has conducted several military exercises in recent years along the Afghan border with Tajikistan and other countries.
"The key issue is that we are now on the frontline. The situation on the southern borders of CSTO member states is extremely challenging," Belousov noted.
"Additionally, the conditions and trends in Afghanistan are deteriorating; we are monitoring them, understanding how to manage them, but all this necessitates our heightened attention and increased readiness," he added.
Following the Taliban's rise to power in Afghanistan, Tajik officials have repeatedly advocated in regional meetings for the creation of a "security belt" around Afghanistan. Security concerns in Russia and other CSTO member states have significantly heightened following the March 22 attack near Moscow.
The Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Faisal bin Abdullah Al-Hanzab, Qatar's foreign minister’s special representative, met Thomas Niklasson, the European Union's Special Representative for Afghanistan.
The meeting, held in Doha on Wednesday, focused on the upcoming third Doha meeting regarding Afghanistan.
According to the Qatar Foreign Ministry, the session addressed the situation in Afghanistan and the joint international efforts to achieve peace and stability in the country.
Simultaneously, Rina Amiri, the US Special Envoy for Afghan Women, met with the United Arab Emirates' representative to the United Nations on Wednesday to discuss the forthcoming Doha meeting.
The third Doha Meeting, which will include special representatives for Afghanistan from various countries, is scheduled for June 30 and July 1.
Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, mentioned that representatives from different countries will convene in Doha to enhance clarity and coordination on the global community’s approach to Afghanistan.
Dujarric emphasised that human rights and the rights of Afghan women will be a priority at the third Doha meeting.
The Pakistani Army has accused the Taliban of collaborating with "Pakistan's enemies" to facilitate attacks from Afghan soil.
According to a statement from the military, commanders highlighted that Pakistan's enemies utilise Afghanistan to target the Pakistani security forces and innocent civilians.
The statement, issued by the Pakistani Armed Forces on Thursday, detailed that the 83rd commanders' meeting took place at the army headquarters in Rawalpindi.
Participants voiced serious concerns over ongoing attacks originating from Afghanistan and the misuse of its territory for terrorist activities.
During the meeting, commanders stressed on the need for a "decisive defeat" of terrorism and underscored the importance of investing in the Pashtun tribal areas and Balochistan to stabilise these regions.
Historically, the Pakistani government, especially the military, has supported the Afghan Taliban against the previous Afghan government, which Islamabad viewed as an ally of India. Analysts suggest that the Pakistani military has consistently been wary of Indian influence in Afghanistan and has accused India of fostering instability there.
With the Taliban's resurgence to power, it seems the Pakistani military still suspects a political and security nexus in Afghanistan in collaboration with India.
The Taliban has denied allegations of allowing its territory to be used against neighbouring countries. However, Pakistan maintains that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) finds sanctuaries and establishes military bases in Afghanistan's eastern provinces. The Pakistani army has conducted operations against TTP positions in Khost and Paktika.
Nasser Kanaani, the spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced that any changes to the Afghan consular staff in Mashhad must comply with the 1963 Vienna Convention.
Kanaani said that the necessary explanations for the changes to the Afghan consular staff in Mashhad have been given to the Taliban’s Chargé d'affaires in Tehran.
He stated that the new individuals "must be introduced to the host government through defined channels and, after obtaining the host government's agreement and receiving visas, enter the host country for the designated mission and commence their specified duties”.
Fars News Agency reported on Thursday, citing Kanaani, that explanations were given on May 18, during a meeting between the Taliban’s Chargé d'affaires in Tehran and the Director-General of South Asia at Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the necessary explanations have also been communicated to the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials through various channels.
Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported, citing sources, that Abdul Jaber Ansar, the Taliban’s Consul-General in Mashhad, Iran has been recalled to Kabul at the end of his mission.
The Taliban have not yet commented on this matter, but the Afghan Consulate in Mashhad announced a temporary halt to the issuance of passports on Wednesday.
The consulate cited technical issues as the reason for the halt in the passport issuance process. The Islamic Republic of Iran, like other countries, does not recognise the Taliban but has handed over the Afghan embassy to the group.
In Khost province, on Wednesday and Thursday, the Taliban publicly flogged 10 individuals.
The Taliban's Supreme Court announced that each of these individuals had been punished with 39 lashes in connection with charges such as "theft" and "moral corruption”.
The Supreme Court stated that six of the accused were sentenced to three years in prison, and two others were sentenced to two years in prison. The court added that two other defendants were sentenced to six and 15 months in prison, respectively.
Additionally, on Wednesday, the Taliban publicly flogged a person 20 times by the order of a local court in Khwaja Umari district of Ghazni province. The Taliban's Supreme Court wrote in a statement that this person was punished on charges of "theft”.
After returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban announced the rescission of all existing laws of the former Afghan government. Although the Taliban have not yet replaced the previous laws with new ones, in nearly three years of their rule in Afghanistan, they have been prosecuting criminals according to what they consider Islamic Sharia.
Human rights organisations say that the principles of fair trial are not observed in Taliban courts. These organisations have called for an immediate halt to corporal punishments in Afghanistan. However, the Taliban have responded by stating that they will continue to enforce Islamic Sharia.
