AFGHANISTAN. Kabul: President Ghani has recalled Najib Alikhil, Afghan ambassador, and other senior Afghan diplomats from Islamabad. The move came following the abduction and torture of the Afghan ambassador’s daughter in Islamabad.
The Afghanistan Foreign Ministry released a statement, saying that the kidnappers of the ambassador’s daughter must be brought to justice and the safety of Afghan diplomats in Pakistan be secured
According to the Afghan Foreign Ministry, the Afghan ambassador and diplomats will be in Kabul until the “perpetrators” of the abduction are identified and punished by the Pakistani government.
“The decision stands until Pakistan provide security to embassy staff & arrest the culprits,” the statement said.
On Saturday, The Afghan Foreign Ministry “summoned” Pakistan’s ambassador in Kabul. He also asked the Pakistani government to “take immediate action to identify and punish the perpetrators.”
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Foreign Ministry said, “The decision by the government of Afghanistan to recall its ambassador and senior diplomats from Pakistan is unfortunate and regrettable.”
The ministry reported that the abduction and assault on the ambassador’s daughter in Islamabad is being investigated and followed at the highest level.
“The security of the Afghan ambassador, his family, and personnel of the embassy and consulates of Afghanistan in Pakistan have been further strengthened,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan directed his Interior Minister Rashid Ahmed to ensure that the perpetrators behind the abduction of the Afghan ambassador’s daughter are arrested within 48 hours.
Speaking on Geo News TV, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid claimed that India’s RAW staged the abduction of the daughter of the Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan.
Addressing a conference on Sunday, Rashid alluded to a conspiracy by Indian Agencies to malign Pakistan with a fake abduction of the Afghanistan Ambassador’s daughter. He added that the investigation will be complete within 72 hours.
Outrage of Afghan people
Silsila Alikhil, the daughter of Najib Alikhil, Afghanistan’s ambassador to Pakistan, was kidnapped in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, on Friday after she was returning home. She was tortured and was released hours later, but hospitalized, due to injuries, the Afghan Foreign Ministry said.
The incident spiked anger among Afghan people on social media and Afghan officials. On Saturday, Afghan citizens protested before the Pakistan embassy in Kabul, asking for justice.
The First Vice President of Afghanistan Amrullah Saleh said that the abduction has wounded the psyche of the nation.
The Taliban spokesman Dr. Naeem also reacted in a Twitter post, “The abduction of an Afghan girl in Pakistan is an act against Islam and humanity. We strongly condemn it. And we call on the Pakistani government to speed up its efforts to arrest and punish the perpetrators of this crime.”
Intra-Afghan Peace Talks
The abduction of ambassador’s daughter has caused a a situation of unrest in the country. Meanwhile, Afghanistan is gearing up for the peace talks after months of violence and the capturing of the districts by the Taliban. Previously, Senior Afghan officials had accused Pakistan of sheltering the Taliban.
President Ashraf Ghani’s recent speech at the “Central and South Asia: Regional Connectivity, Challenges, and Opportunities” in Uzbekistan criticized Pakistan. He accused Pakistan of supporting in the presence of his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan, who was also in the summit.
“Intelligence estimates indicate the influx of over 10,000 jihadi fighters from Pakistan and other places in the last month, as well as, support from their affiliates and the transnational terrorist organizations,” Ghani said.
Also Read: Afghan President Ghani Shares Peace Plan Details
Moments later at the event, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan rejected Ghani’s remarks by saying that Islamabad was never against the ongoing instability in Afghanistan.
“Let me say that the country that is going to be most affected by turmoil in Afghanistan is Pakistan. Pakistan suffered 70,000 people dead in the last 15 years,” Khan said. “I can assure you that no country has tried harder to get Taliban on the dialogue table than Pakistan.”
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