Afghanistan’s top diplomat in India stepped down after she was accused of smuggling nearly $2 million worth of gold into the country.
Zakia Wardak, the Afghan Consul-General in India’s Mumbai, confirmed her resignation on her official X handle, saying: “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.”
Wardak was last month stopped by financial intelligence authorities at Mumbai airport on arrival from Dubai — along with her son — carrying 25 kilograms of gold.
She was not arrested because of her diplomatic immunity, the reports said, but the gold — worth around $1.9 million — was confiscated.
Wardak’s resignation leaves thousands of Afghan nationals, including students and businessmen, without any consular representation in India.
Wardak said in the statement that she had “encountered numerous personal attacks and defamation” over the past year.
Such incidents “have demonstrated the challenges faced by women in Afghan society,” she added, making no explicit reference to the gold allegations.
