New Delhi: Appointed by the Ashraf Ghani government before the Taliban took over the state. the only female representative of Afghanistan, Zakia Wardak has resigned from the post, she said.
The senior Afghan diplomat in India was allegedly intercepted while trying to smuggle 25-kilograms of gold worth about Rs 18-crore from Dubai into India.
Wardak attributed her decision to “personal attacks and defamation” and a “public narrative unfairly targeting the only female representative within this system,” NDTV reported.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence last week April had intercepted with gold at the Mumbai aiport. While the gold was seized and a case registered, Wardak wasn’t arrested because of Diplomatic Immunity.
The diplomat was appointed by the previous Ashraf Ghani government in Afghanistan, which was replaced by the Taliban in 2021. India still works with the appointees of the Ghani government.
In a statement announcing her decision to step down from her post effective Sunday, Ms Wardak said, “Over the past year, I have encountered numerous personal attacks and defamation not only directed towards me but also towards my close family and extended relatives.”
“These attacks, which appear to be organised, have severely impacted my ability to effectively operate in my role,” she said.
“It has been a great privilege working alongside the people of India for these years. I am grateful for the collaborative efforts and shared vision for progress between our nations,” she wrote in the statement.
