Taliban Extends Contract of Former Afghan Embassy Chief in Berlin
Administrative documents released show that the Taliban-run foreign ministry has extended the work contract of Abdul Baqi Popal, the former head of Afghanistan’s embassy in Berlin, for a third time under the status of a “local employee.” The move comes as European countries, including Germany, have not formally accepted diplomats appointed by the Taliban administration.
According to the documents, Popal’s contract extension was approved by Nebras-ul-Haq Aziz, the embassy’s first secretary in Berlin, and with the agreement of the personnel department of the Taliban-run foreign ministry. At the same time, Sayed Mustafa Nouri has also been appointed as the new head of the section that reviews documents of applicants for consular services and information at the embassy.
Officials at the mission said in an official letter to the centre that, given the possible imminent start of passport distribution and the growing number of citizen visits, the Berlin embassy needs more staff and the immediate approval of local personnel contracts. The letter stressed that otherwise, consular services would be disrupted.
The move is seen as part of a mechanism adopted by the Taliban administration to keep embassies functioning after several European countries refused to formally accept its representatives. According to the report, the Taliban foreign ministry has tried to maintain its operational presence in foreign missions by hiring people under the title of “local employee.”
The report also says the renewed focus on the documents and passport sections is aimed at taking direct control of consular services for Afghans living in Germany. According to Irav, the Taliban administration is seeking to transfer control of these sections from staff left over from the republic era to its own preferred structure.
Germany is among the countries that, following the political change in Afghanistan, has refused to formally accept new Taliban-appointed diplomats. Nevertheless, the Afghan embassy in Berlin remains one of the important centres for document and consular services for some Afghans living in the country.
