Afghanistan's only female diplomat resigns 'after being caught smuggling £1.6m worth of gold'

Zakiya Wardak did not mention gold in her resignation letter

Afghanistan's only female diplomat resigned days after how she was caught at the airport authorities allegedly smuggled almost £1.6 million into India.

Zakia Wardak announced her resignation on social media after Indian media reported that she and her son had been detained last month upon arriving in Mumbai from Dubai with 25 kg of gold. gold.

Ms Wardak is believed to have been posted in India before the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021 and was the Consul General of Afghanistan in Mumbai.

She has served as the country's highest-ranking representative in India since the Afghan embassy in New Delhi closed in November.

Ms Wardak was reportedly not arrested when she was stopped due to her diplomatic immunity, but the gold was seized by the Indian Revenue Intelligence Agency.

She did not mention the gold in her resignation letter, but said she had “faced numerous personal attacks and slander” over the past year.

Incidents like these “have demonstrated the challenges women face in Afghan society,” she said, adding: “It has become increasingly clear that public ideology unfairly targets the only female representative in this system, rather than focusing on constructive help and support.” . ”

Application in Dari, Pashto & English. pic.twitter.com/pQwLCMun0O

— Zakia Wardak (@ZakiaWardak) May 4, 2024

Many Afghan diplomats remained loyal to the internationally backed government when Kabul fell, even though their administration was overthrown.

They refused to hand over official buildings and positions to the new Taliban emirate and remained in charge of issuing visas and documents.

Taliban authorities fully control only about a dozen Afghan embassies abroad, including in Pakistan, China, Turkey and Iran.< /p>

Ashraf Ghani's government was notorious for corruption before it was overthrown by the Taliban, and public disgust with thieving officials has proven to be a powerful recruiting tool for the rebels.

No country has yet officially recognized the new government The Taliban, but many recognize them as the de facto ruling authority.

Since the Taliban took control in August 2021, they have banned women from most areas of public life and employment. . Girls are prohibited from attending classes after primary school age.

They have also restricted women's access to work, travel and health care unless they are married or have a male guardian, and those who are uninsured their heads and faces risk being arrested.