The Afghan government has called back its ambassador to Pakistan along with senior diplomats for “consultations” until security is guaranteed by Islamabad for its diplomats and staff, reads an Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement
The development comes a day after the kidnap of the daughter of the Afghan ambassador in Islamabad.
“Following the abduction of the Afghan ambassador’s daughter in Pakistan, the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan called back Afghanistan’s ambassador and senior diplomats from Pakistan until all security threats are addressed including the arrest and trial of the perpetrators of abduction,” the Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement.
It said an Afghan delegation will visit Pakistan soon to assess and follow up on the case and “all related issues”, adding that “subsequent actions will follow based on the findings”.
Meanwhile, First Vice President Amrullah Saleh tweeted the decision of Afghan president Ashraf Ghani’s decision. He wrote that the president has instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to “call back our ambassador from Islamabad along with all senior diplomats. The abduction of Afghan ambassador’s daughter and her subsequent torture has wounded the psyche of our Nations. Our national psyche has been tortured.”
UNFORTUNATE DECISION: Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has, in the meantime, issued a statement saying that “the decision by the government of Afghanistan to recall its ambassador and senior diplomats from Pakistan is unfortunate and regrettable.”
The statement added that “the reported abduction and assault of Ambassador’s daughter in Islamabad is being investigated and followed-up at the highest level on the instructions of the prime minister. The security of the ambassador, his family and personnel of the embassy and consulates of Afghanistan in Pakistan has been further beefed up.
“The foreign secretary met the ambassador of Afghanistan today, highlighted all the steps taken by the government in this context, and re-assured him of full cooperation. We hope that the government of Afghanistan would reconsider its decision,” the statement concluded.
SUHAIL SHAHEEN: Member of Afghan negotiations team and spokesman Suhail Shaheen in a revised late night tweet urged the government of Pakistan to step up its efforts to arrest and punish the perpetrators of Silsila Alikhil so that such acts do not give rise to “hate between the two nations and that spoilers don’t have ground to misuse it”
Suhail tweeted that “the kidnapping of an Afghan girl in Pakistan is against humanity and an aggression which we condemn. We urge the government of Pakistan to step up its efforts to arrest and punish the perpetrators so that such acts do not give rise to hate between the two nations and the spoilers don’t have ground to misuse it.”
TALIBAN: Spokesman for the Political Office of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Dr Muhammad Naeem said in his tweet that “Afghan Taliban condemn the abduction of Afghan Girl in Islamabad, calling it against Islamic norms.”
Taliban also “urge Pakistan to arrest the perpetrators.”
THE KIDNAP: Ambassador Najibullah Alikhil’s daughter, Silsila, was abducted from Islamabad’s commercial hub by unidentified people on Friday who also subjected her to torture.
She was returning home in the afternoon by a taxi after visiting a bakery in Islamabad’s Blue Area when the driver picked up another man, who verbally abused and assaulted her. She was later dropped in an unconscious condition by the taxi driver on a roadside.
Her medical report confirmed that she had been physically assaulted.
