Held with gold in India, Afghan diplomat quits

KABUL (Pajhwok): Zakia Wardak, Afghanistan’s consul general in India, has been intercepted at Mumbai airport for allegedly smuggling 25 kilograms of gold from Dubai.

In a post on X, Wardak shared her resignation letter, stepping down from the consul general position, in three languages (Pashto, Dari and English).

She wrote: “It is with great regret that I announce my decision to step away from my role at the Consulate and Embassy of Afghanistan in India, effective May 5, 2024. 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.”

She added: “These attacks, which appear to be organized, have severely impacted my ability to effectively operation in my role and have demonstrated the challenges faced by women in Afghan society and strive to modernize and bring positive changes amidst ongoing propaganda campaigns.”

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) caught the consul general of Afghanistan, Zakia Wardak, allegedly trying to smuggle 25 kg of gold worth ₹18.6 crore from Dubai to India, according to a report by the Times of India.

It said Wardak accompanied by her son flew into Mumbai from Dubai on an Emirates flight.

The diplomat used green channel, indicating they were carrying no goods that needed to be declared to customs, the media report added.

Meanwhile, speaking to the Times of India, Wardak said that she was “surprised” and “concerned” by the gold smuggling accusations.

Wardak had been appointed as the Consul General of Mumbai by the previous government and remained in her position after the closure of the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi.

Pajhwok tried to contact Zakia Wardak for comment, but failed.

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