ROME - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) fired Helena Malikary, Afghan Ambassador to Italy following a series of complaints by the Afghan diplomats in Rome, sources said.
A source in MOFA told Khaama Press that as soon as Helena Malikyar was appointed as Afghan Ambassador to Italy, she demanded the dismissal of several Afghan diplomats which sparked concerns among Afghan diplomats in Rome.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) called five diplomats back to Kabul according to the demand of the new Ambassador, the source said.
The relations between Idris Zaman, the former Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Afghan Embassy in Rome strained after Helena Malikyar requested the dismissal of six other diplomats, the source added.
The relations between the Afghan Embassy in Rome and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs were not good enough as such dismissals looked weird to them, the source said.
According to the source, six Afghan diplomats in Rome were called back to Kabul following the appointment of Haroon Chakhansuri as the new Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Helena Malikyar and her deputy might have been dismissed after an investigation conducted by the MOFA, the source said.
Helena Malikyar was appointed as the Afghan Ambassador to Rome in October 2019. She is said to be a close ally of the President and the First Lady, Rulla Ghani. (KHAAMA PRESS)