Pakistan has summoned Afghanistan’s charge d’affaires to Islamabad and conveyed its deep concern over the attack on the country’s head of mission in Kabul, it emerged on Saturday.
Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani narrowly escaped Friday’s attack on Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul, which was immediately condemned and demanded an inquiry from Islamabad.
Nizamani was targeted by unidentified gunmen while he was walking in the embassy compound. His guard was seriously injured in the attack.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office said in a late night statement that the Afghan diplomat was summoned on Friday evening and “conveyed Pakistan’s serious concern over the serious incident in which thankfully the head of mission remained safe” but the guards were seriously injured. got injured.
It added, “Charge d’Affaires was apprised that the safety and security of Pakistan’s diplomatic missions and personnel was the responsibility of the Afghan Interim Government and that the incident was an extremely serious security lapse.”
Pakistan demanded that the perpetrators of the attack should be caught and brought to justice immediately, an inquiry should be launched into the serious breach of security of the embassy premises, and that steps should be taken to ensure the safety of diplomatic premises, officials and staff. All necessary steps should be taken for the same. It operates in Pakistan’s mission in Kabul and consulates in Jalalabad, Kandahar, Herat and Mazar-i-Sharif.
Terming the attack as “extremely unfortunate”, the Afghan charge d’affaires said it was carried out by common enemies of Pakistan and Afghanistan and has been condemned in the strongest terms by the Afghan leadership at the highest level.
He also informed that the security of Pakistani diplomatic missions has already been increased and the Afghan authorities will leave no stone unturned to bring the perpetrators of this dastardly act to justice.
The Foreign Office said that separately, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari received a phone call from Amir Khan Muttaki, acting foreign minister of Afghanistan’s interim government, in the wake of the attack.
Muttaki strongly condemned the attack on Nizamani. Reiterating Afghanistan’s determination to combat terrorism, he assured the foreign minister that the Afghan government would “swiftly bring the perpetrators of this heinous attack to justice”.
“The Afghan government should stop terrorists from undermining the ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan,” Bilawal said. He said that Pakistan will not be deterred by such cowardly attacks.
The Foreign Office dismissed reports of the withdrawal of diplomats from Kabul, saying “there are no plans to close the embassy or withdraw diplomats from Kabul”.
Responding to a question at a briefing on Friday, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Afghanistan would live up to its promise not to allow its territory to be used for terrorist activities in other countries.
He said Minister of State Hina Rabbani Khar raised Pakistan’s “key concerns and priorities” during her visit to Kabul and the two sides agreed to develop mechanisms for follow-up on various issues.
“The Afghan side has assured that Afghanistan territory will not be used for terrorism against Pakistan or any other country,” he said.
Meanwhile, the US has condemned Friday’s attack on the Pakistani embassy in the capital of Afghanistan.
“The United States condemns the attack on the Pakistani embassy in Kabul targeting its chief of mission Obaid Nizamani, a senior diplomat. We offer our sympathies and wish a speedy recovery to those affected by the violence. The United States is deeply concerned about this incident, an attack on a foreign diplomat, and we demand a full and transparent investigation, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement on Friday.
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