Dushanbe [Tajikistan], December 24 (ANI): Afghan Ambassador to Tajikistan Muhammad Zahir Agbar said that the embassy has denied the Taliban to return nearly USD 8,00,000 that were sent from Kabul in the last days of the presidency of Ashraf Ghani, reported Sputnik.

The former Afghan government had transferred USD 7,86,000 to the embassy in Dushanbe after Ghani fled Afghanistan and took refuge in the UAE.

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With regard to the money, the Taliban sent a letter to the embassy asking the mission to return funds to Kabul.

"The Taliban have no right to demand the return of this amount of almost USD 8,00,000 since the Afghan Embassy is the official diplomatic department of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and therefore different amounts are received here, about which the Taliban have no right to ask questions," Sputnik quoted ambassador Agbar as saying to reporters here on Friday.

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The Ambassador also emphasised that like almost the whole world the embassy does not recognise the Taliban.

"We do not officially recognise the Taliban, like almost the whole world," said Agbar, adding that who are they to demand the money which was sent by a legitimate government.

"Now we [the embassy] are one small Afghanistan with a large number of our citizens living and working here," he said.

The diplomat informed that nearly 10,000 Afghans live in the country, who can receive assistance from the embassy. (ANI)

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