Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday directed Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed to use all resources to apprehend the culprits involved in the “kidnapping” of the Afghan envoy’s daughter in Islamabad.
Ambassador Najibullah Alikhil’s daughter, Silsila, was abducted from the federal capital’s commercial hub by unidentified people on Friday who also subjected her to torture.
Reacting to the incident, the Foreign Office (FO) on Saturday said law enforcement agencies were tracing the culprits behind the “manhandling” of the Afghan envoy’s daughter.
Earlier, in a series of tweets, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said Prime Minister Khan had asked him to direct Islamabad police and other law enforcement agencies to investigate the incident on “top priority” and apprehend the culprits within 48 hours.
“Prime Minister has further directed the Interior Minister that Islamabad Police and other law enforcement agencies must investigate the incident on TOP PRIORITY, bring up the truth of the matter and apprehend the culprits within 48 hours,” he tweeted.
In another tweet, he said: “Accordingly, all efforts are being made to thoroughly investigate the matter and apprehend the persons involved in the incident. Islamabad Police is constantly in touch with the girl and family of the Afghan Ambassador.”
Meanwhile, the interior minister later told a private news channel that the kidnappers would be arrested soon.
He said the law enforcement agencies had found the second taxi driver who had dropped her.
“We are in contact with the ambassador’s family and inquiring the matter through (information gleaned from) CCTV cameras of the market,” Sheikh Rashid said.
Silsila Alikhil, 27, was returning home on Friday afternoon in a taxi after visiting a bakery in Blue Area when the driver picked up another man, who verbally abused and assaulted her.
Silsila was later dropped by the taxi driver unconscious on a roadside.
Her medical report confirmed that she had been physically assaulted.
The FO statement said: “As reported to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the Embassy of Afghanistan in Islamabad, yesterday, the daughter of the Ambassador was assaulted while riding a rented vehicle.”
Islamabad police, it said, had begun their investigation.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant security authorities are closely in contact with the Ambassador and his family and extending full support in the matter,” the FO said.
“It is reiterated that the safety and security of the diplomatic missions as well as the diplomats and their families is of utmost importance. Such incidents can and will not be tolerated,” it added.
On the other hand, the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), in a statement issued from Kabul, said Silsila Alikhil was “abducted” and “severely tortured” by unidentified persons.
The Afghan MoFA condemned, what it called, a “heinous act” and expressed its “deep concern” over the safety and security of diplomats, their families and staff members of the Afghan diplomatic missions in Pakistan.
It urged Pakistan to take “immediate necessary actions” for providing “full security” to Afghan embassy and consulates as well as their diplomats, staffers and their families.
Kabul also asked Pakistani authorities to identify and prosecute the perpetrators at the earliest.
