Mohammad Fazil Saifi

1. Former Ambassador to Bulgaria:
Mohammad Fazel Saifi (2003),
Mohammad Davood Pagshiri Panjshiri (20091122- ),
Ziaullah Mahmood )(20130520)
Mohammad Daoud Daoudzai Charge d' Affairs (20170908)
Mohammad Fazil Saifi

2. Previous Functions:
Ambassador to Bulgaria (200305)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kabul, Director of the Central Asia and Eastern Europe Department (20051207)
Ambassador to Turkmenistan Ashqabad (20151128)
Ambassador to Bulgaria

3. Biodata:

Mohammad Fazil Saifi reportedly studied engineering and is the cousin of Mohammad Yunus Qanuni, the former first vice president. Sources indicate that Qanuni mediated Saifi’s appointment as Afghanistan’s ambassador in Sofia when Mohammad Hanif Atmar served as the foreign minister. He is also the brother of Atiqullah Baryalai, a senior member of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan. Saifi, who has a Bulgarian wife, has lived in Bulgaria for many years and previously served as the chargé d’affaires of the Afghan Embassy during the Islamic (Mujahideen) government.

Another source notes that, despite his family ties to prominent figures in the National Resistance Front, such as Baryalai and Qanuni, Mohammad Fazil Saifi has established communication with the Taliban. This apparent contradiction between his stance and that of his brother, Atiqullah Baryalai, is noteworthy. While Atiqullah Baryalai firmly opposes the Taliban, his brother, as the head of the Afghan embassy in Bulgaria, expresses a desire to establish relations with the group and has made several attempts to contact them. The source suggests that this contradiction may arise from personal interests, political pressures, or other factors.

Sources indicate that such communication with the Taliban, especially from someone whose family has strong ties to the National Resistance Front, reflects the complex political and personal dynamics among Afghan diplomatic officials and the severe challenges they face in the current situation.

The Afghan ambassador in Bulgaria denied any engagement with the Taliban, stating, “This embassy has never engaged with the Taliban at any point and has conducted all its duties regarding displaced persons, stateless individuals, and Afghan refugees solely on a humanitarian basis and according to the principles and conventions of Vienna in consular matters.”

Saifi considers the submission and verification of consular documents to the Taliban Ministry of Foreign Affairs a necessary process, stating, “Without coordination and approval from the center, consular documents lack legal validity.” He adds, “Providing consular services to citizens, even in critical and sensitive conditions, is a primary and legal duty of any embassy. This duty should be carried out through effective cooperation between the center and its representatives, particularly the consular department. Issuing any documents, including powers of attorney, marriage certificates, and identity verification, without coordination and approval from the center lacks legal validity. This is a fundamental principle of consular activities that must be upheld.”

The Afghan ambassador in Bulgaria claims that providing consular services is unrelated to political issues and that various countries maintain consular cooperation to support their citizens even during wartime. He criticizes those who comment on this issue for lacking adequate knowledge of international law, stating, “Unfortunately, it seems that some individuals, without sufficient understanding of international laws and the Vienna Conventions, have a misguided perception of the duties and authorities of an embassy. Embassies operate within the framework of international laws and coordinate with the center, and all their actions are subject to precise legal scrutiny.” He emphasizes that, following the collapse of the republic system, the legal status of the ambassador and extraordinary representative has logically changed, reducing the embassy’s status to that of a consular office. Saifi claims that some diplomatic representations have ignored this reality, leading to the ineffective use of embassies.