Afghanistan Embassy's Case in Indian Supreme Court halts due to current Taliban turmoil

A case involving the Embassy of Afghanistan in New Delhi is now unable to proceed because the mission's counsel isn't "getting instructions" amid the turmoil in that country.

The advocate today got the hearing in the 2010 civil works case adjourned for six weeks, hoping things will improve by then.

The case pertains to a dispute between the Embassy, which is the petitioner, and a Delhi-based construction company over certain repair work done in its premises.

The Embassy's counsel Advocate Ejaz Maqbool wrote a letter to the Supreme Court registry today saying Afghanistan is in turmoil and he was unable to get instructions from the Ambassador of the country and its Embassy in New Delhi.

The case was today listed for hearing before a two-judge bench of Justice Vineet Saran and Justice Dinesh Maheshwari. When it came up, Mr Maqbool sought adjournment for six weeks. The bench asked him, "Do you think that the situation will be settled in six weeks?"

Maqbool replied, "No, but at least I will be able to get instruction from the new regime. We should pray that things will be settled."

The court then granted his request.

The Delhi High Court had earlier ruled in favour of the construction company, following which the Embassy appealed before the Supreme Court.

Earlier this week, the Afghanistan Embassy in India made headlines after several tweets by its Twitter handle berated Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani for fleeing the country as the Taliban took over. The tweets were deleted shortly after.

Abdulhaq Azad, the press secretary of the Afghan Embassy in India, later said he did not have access to the account and that it has been hacked.

"I have lost access to the Twitter handle of Afghan Embassy India, a friend sent a screenshot of this tweet, (this tweet is hidden from me.) I have tried to log in but can't access it. Seems it is hacked," Mr Azad tweeted on Monday.

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